Emerging contaminants such as PFAS continue to be a focus of new policies and regulations. On March 11, the EPA issued a notice that will require a number of water systems to sample for a list of PFAS compounds and lithium in order to assess the occurrence of these substances. EPA’s proposed Safe Drinking Water Act rule would require PFAS monitoring to be conducted by all community and non-transient non-community water systems serving 3,300 or more people, and a representative sample be collected of smaller water systems.

Additionally, Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reports for RY2020 due on July 1, 2021, will include PFAS for the first time. TRI reporting requirements apply to 172 PFAS that were added to the TRI list last year.

Other significant environmental actions to keep an eye on:

EPA PBT chemical rules open for comment

EPA announced a 60-day public comment period to collect additional input on five rules for persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA seeks feedback to help determine potential revisions to the current rules to include additional or alternative exposure reduction measures or extending compliance dates for certain regulated products and articles.

Evidence-based approach to TSCA systematic reviews

In alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to utilizing scientific data to develop policies, the EPA is refining its approach to selecting and reviewing the scientific studies that are used to inform TSCA chemical risk evaluations. This examination is a part of EPA’s broader efforts to review the first 10 TSCA risk evaluations.

RCRA: Avoid penalties by knowing the facts

Knowing your federal hazardous waste generator classification and understanding of the applicable hazardous waste regulations is key to avoiding penalties. While enforcement may have been trending down over the last several years, a violation can still be very costly.