EPA will continue a Biden-era initiative to collect data on “forever chemicals” but is eyeing an expanded slate of exemptions to companies looking to avoid the reporting requirements.
The agency on Monday released proposed changes to the PFAS data reporting rule, a one-time call for data submissions on the chemical family under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The rule, originally finalized in 2023, marked the first time EPA solicited particular toxicity and use data from manufacturers, a key step to filling knowledge gaps about how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances impact human and environmental health.
Under the Trump administration’s proposed rule, companies can avoid submitting data if the chemicals were manufactured in low quantities or for research and development purposes. The other proposed exemptions apply to imported articles, certain byproducts, impurities and nonisolated intermediates.
“This Biden-era rule would have imposed crushing regulatory burdens and nearly $1 billion in implementation costs on American businesses,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a news release.
