The Biden administration is a step closer to releasing a final rule that would put polluters on the hook for cleaning up land contaminated by two of the most notorious “forever chemicals.”
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget advanced a rule Friday that would designate two PFAS as hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
That designation would mean stricter reporting requirements for PFOA and PFOS, two chemicals within the family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances linked with serious health risks, including cancer. It would also make heavily contaminated sites eligible for listing on the Superfund cleanup list.
The rule would mark the first time EPA has added a substance as hazardous under CERCLA since its 1980 passage.
