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LETTER FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR
Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the first-ever PFAS
Action Plan —a historic step in our nation's efforts to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS) in the environment. The Action Plan represented a number of
important firsts for the agency. It was the first time we have used all of our program
offices to deal with an emerging chemical of concern, it was aiso the first time the
agency had put together a multi-media, multi-program national research and risk
communication plan to address a challenge like PFAS. By prioritizing our work under the
Action Plan, we are delivering on President Trump's commitment to protect the health
and well-being of communities across the country that are working to address PFAS.
Over the past year, we have built on the momentum the launch of the PFAS Action
Plan put in motion, and our efforts have been nothing short of unprecedented. We have
made progress in all of our program areas—from groundwater cleanup guidance, to new test methods that
are helping to move our research efforts forward, to updates to our Toxics Release Inventory, to progress on
updating our drinking water standards. These actions reflect the comprehensive and coordinated approach
we outlined in the PFAS Action Plan; and I want to thank and congratulate the career staff at EPA for their hard
work and their unwavering commitment to addressing this issue over the past year.
The Action Plan outlines more than 20 key focus areas that include both short-term and long-term goals. While
we are recognizing our accomplishments over the past year, we know we have more work to do. Addressing
this challenge will require action from all levels of government—federal, state, local, and tribal, which is why this
year I put a new emphasis on identifying funding opportunities for PFAS research and mitigation efforts. In just
one year, EPA announced approximately $15 million for new research efforts—including first-of-its-kind funding
for the agriculture sector. We also highlighted new ways that our existing programs, like the State Revolving
Funds, can be used to address PFAS.
As our regulatory and research efforts mature, I believe it is even more important to enhance the partnerships
that we have with other nations; our federal partners; and our own state, local, and tribal governments. Over
the past year, we have met with international partners who are using our Action Plan as a guide for efforts
in their own countries. We have forged new partnerships and have expanded our technical assistance and
support to new states and locai communities. Finally, we have taken enforcement actions against companies.
This year EPA is celebrating 50 years of environmental protection. We are celebrating the progress that we've
made in setting the nation's air quality standards to protect human health, regulating the quality of public
drinking water, creating the Superfund program to clean up hazardous waste sites, and protecting children
from exposure to lead-based paint, to name a few. As we look to the future, I look forward to working shoulder-
to-shoulder with states, local communities, tribes, water utilities, other federal agencies, and private parties to
implement the PFAS Action Plan and continue our progress for a stronger future.
Andrew Wheeler
Administrator
EPA PUBLICATION NUMBER: 100K20002

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION	4
UPDATE ON EPA PFAS ACTIONS	5
Addressing PFAS in Drinking Water	5
Reducing PFAS Exposure through Cleanups	8
Ensuring Safety and Understanding PFAS in Commerce: EPA Actions Under the
Toxics Release Inventory and the Toxic Substances Control Act	9
Increasing Research to Reduce Risks	11
Expanding Technical Assistance, Enforcement, and Support	12
Funding for Additional PFAS Efforts	14
Risk Communications and Engagement	16
CONCLUSION	17
EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of rnan-made
chemicals that have been manufactured and used by a variety of industries
since 1940. Common applications of PFAS include water and stain repellant
materials, as well as firefighting products. While the use of certain PFAS have
been discontinued, legacy uses and a lack of commercially viable alternatives
to certain public safety products (e.g., fire fighting foams) have resulted in
PFAS contamination in certain areas.
In May 2018, EPA convened a two-day National Leadership Summit on
PFAS that brought together more than 200 federal, state, and local leaders
to discuss steps to address PFAS. The Summit set the following goals:
evaluate the need for a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA
and PFOS in drinking water, evaluate designating PFOA and PFOS as
hazardous substances, issue groundwater cleanup guidances for PFOA and PFOS, and develop toxicity values
for GenX and PFBS. Following the Summit, EPA interacted with more than 1,000 people during PFAS-focused
community engagement events in Exeter, New Hampshire; Horsham, Pennsylvania; Colorado Springs, Colorado;
Fayetteville, North Carolina; and Leavenworth, Kansas as well as through a roundtable in Kalamazoo, Michigan and
an event with tribal representatives in Spokane, Washington.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, who is joined
by Cosmo Servidio, announces PFAS Action Plan in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As a result of these meetings and building on the goals identified at the Summit and the approximately 120,000
public comments received by the agency, EPA developed the PFAS Action Plan, which was issued in February
2019. The PFAS Action Plan is the first multi-media, multi-program, national research, management, and risk
communication plan to address an emerging contaminant like PFAS. The PFAS Action Plan outlines the tools EPA
is developing to, among other things, address PFAS in drinking water, identify and clean up PFAS contamination,
expand monitoring of PFAS in manufacturing, increase PFAS scientific research, and exercise effective
enforcement tools. The Action Plan outlines EPA's commitment to take a wide variety of actions to address this
emerging contaminant in both short-term and long-term timeframes.
Together, these efforts are helping EPA and our partners identify and better understand PFAS contaminants
generally, clean up current PFAS contamination, prevent future contamination, and effectively communicate risk
with the public. In continuing to implement the PFAS Action Plan, EPA is committed to coordinating closely with
multiple entities, including other federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, water utilities, industry, and the
public.
EPA is issuing this report one year after the PFAS Action Plan was released to provide an update on the actions the
agency has taken to address PFAS.
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EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020

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Addressing PFAS in Drinking Water
As part of EPA's efforts under the PFAS Action Plan, the agency is following through on its commitment to address
PFAS in drinking water. The agency's work over the past year included efforts to expand drinking water test
methods, to work under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to make a regulatory determination for PFOA and
PFOS, to produce new toxicity assessments, and to continue monitoring for PFAS.
Drinking Water Method 533
EPA, along with its federal, state,
local, and tribal partners, is working
to develop reliable and consistent
laboratory methods for detecting and
identifying PFAS in drinking water.
In December 2019, EPA announced
a new validated method for testing
additional PFAS in drinking water,
EPA Method 533. The new validated
test method complements other
actions the agency has taken under
the Action Plan to help communities
address PFAS nationwide. This
scientific advancement makes it
possible for both government and
private laboratories to effectively
measure more PFAS chemicals in
drinking water than was possible
before. EPA's Method 533 focuses
on those PFAS with carbon chain
lengths of 4 to 12, and complements
EPA Method 537.1, published in November 2018. With this new method, the agency can measure 29 chemicals,
which marks a critical step under the PFAS Action Plan.
C
ft *'
EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020
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v>EPA
United States
~n,a ~	EPA Analytical Methods for PFAS in Drinking Water
EPA's new validated Method 533 focuses on "short chain" per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
(i.e., those with carbon chain lengths of 4 to 12). Method 533 complements EPA Method 537.1
(published November 2018) and can be used to test for 11 additional PFAS. Using both methods, a total
of 29 unique PFAS can be effectively measured in drinking water.
Analyte
Abbreviation
CASRN
Method
533
Method
537.1
11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid
11CI-PF30UdS
763051-92-9
X
X
9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acd
9CI-PF30NS
756426-58-1
X
X
4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid
ADONA
919005-14-4
X
X
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid
HFPO-DA
13252-13-6
X
X
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid
PFBS
375-73-5
X
X
Perfluorodecanoic acid
PFDA
335-76-2
X
X
Perfluorododecanoic acid
PFDoA
307-55-1
X
X
Perfluoroheptanoic acid
PFHpA
375-85-9
X
X
Perfluorohexanoic acid
PFHxA
307-24-4
X
X
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid
PFHxS
355-46-4
X
X
Perfluorononanoic acid
PFNA
375-95-1
X
X
Perfluorooctanoic acid
PFOA
335-67-1
X
X
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid
PFOS
1763-23-1
X
X
Perfluoroundecanoic acid
PFUnA
2058-94-8
X
X
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid
4:2FTS
757124-72-4
X

1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
6:2FTS
27619-97-2
X

1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecane sulfonic acid
8:2FTS
39108-34-4
X

Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid
NFDHA
151772-58-6
X

Perfluorobutanoic acid
PFBA
375-22-4
X

Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic acid
PFEESA
113507-82-7
X

Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid
PFHpS
375-92-8
X

Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid
PFMBA
863090-89-5
X

Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid
PFMPA
377-73-1
X

Perfluoropentanoic acid
PFPeA
2706-90-3
X

Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid
PFPeS
2706-91-4
X

N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid
NEtFOSAA
2991-50-6

X
N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid
NMeFOSAA
2355-31-9

X
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid
PFTA
376-06-7

X
Perfluorotridecanoic acid
PFTrDA
72629-94-8

X
Office of Water (MS-140)	EPA 815-B-19-021	December 2019
EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020

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Drinking Water Reauiatorv Determination
EPA is committed to following the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) process for evaluating drinking water standards
for two PFAS —PFOA and PFOS. The statutory process involves determining whether:
1)	The contaminant may have an adverse effect on the health of persons;
2)	The contaminant is known to occur or there is a substantial likelihood that the contaminant will occur in
public water systems with a frequency and at levels of public health concern; and
3)	in the sole judgment of the Administrator, regulation of such contaminant presents a meaningful opportunity
for health risk reduction for persons served by public water systems.
In February 2020, EPA announced that it is proposing to regulate both PFOA and PFOS under the SDWA—a critical
step as the agency continues its efforts to protect drinking water and public health nationwide. This preliminary
determination is a step toward providing state and local communities with key information about PFOA and PFOS
in drinking water. In the proposal, EPA is also asking for information and data on other PFAS substances, as well
as seeking comment on potential monitoring requirements and regulatory approaches EPA is considering for PFAS
chemicals. If the positive regulatory determination is finalized, the agency would begin the process to establish a
national primary drinking water regulation for PFOA and PFOS.
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments require that once every five years EPA issue a new list
of unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems. This data supports the agency's efforts
to regulate particular contaminants of potential public health concern. Consistent with recent statutory changes,
including the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, EPA is committed to monitoring for
PFAS in the next Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (LJCMR) cycle. The agency looks forward to issuing a
proposed rule this year and working through the regulatory process outlined in the SDWA.
Other Water Actions
Under the PFAS Action Plan, EPA is working to determine
if there is enough available data and research to support
the development of Clean Water Act (CWA) water quality
criteria for PFAS. EPA develops criteria for determining
when water has become unsafe for people and wildlife
using the latest scientific knowledge. These criteria are
recommendations, and state and tribal governments may
choose to adopt these criteria or use them as guidance in
developing their own water quality criteria. Currently, EPA
is scoping development of draft human health and aquatic
life criteria for PFOA and PFOS. EPA is also actively
collaborating with the Department of Defense to develop
benchmarks to protect aquatic life and aquatic-dependent
wildlife.
In addition, EPA is developing a risk assessment to better understand the potential public health and ecological
risks associated with PFOA and PFOS in land-applied biosolids. Over the past year. EPA has engaged with
stakeholders through site visits, webinars, and meetings to gather information on the use of biosolids.
Lastly, EPA is examining available information about PFAS in discharges to surface water to identify Industrial
sources that may warrant further study for potential regulation. Included in EPA's Preliminary Effluent Guidelines
Plan 14 is initial analyses of industrial sources and discharges of PFAS. This information is part of a multi-industry
study to determine which industries are most likely to discharge PFAS into the environment and to determine the
specific PFAS compounds currently in use.
EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020
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Reducing PFAS Exposure through Cleanups
EPA supports its federal, state, local, arid tribal
partners by providing assistance in efforts
to identify exposures, develop methods to
measure PFAS in the environment, and support
cleanup efforts where PFAS chemicals have
been identified as a risk to public health. EPA is
currently providing cleanup assistance to more
than 30 states and the District of Columbia to
address PFAS contamination. Over the past
year, EPA has made considerable progress
under the PFAS Action Plan as it relates to clean
ups.
Groundwater Guidance for Federal Clean Up Programs
In December 2019, EPA met its own deadline to issue
Interim Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater
Contaminated with PFOA and PFOS under federal
cleanup programs, a priority action under the PFAS
Action Plan. The interim recommendations provide
clear and consistent guidance for federal cleanup
programs and help protect drinking water resources in
communities across the country. This is a critical tool
for the agency's state, tribal, and local partners to use
to protect public health and address these chemicals.
With these interim recommendations, EPA is prioritizing public health impacts by focusing on addressing
groundwater that is a current or potential source of drinking water. The guidance recommends:
*	Using a screening level of 40 parts per trillion (ppt) to determine if PFOA and/or PFOS is present at a site and
may warrant further attention.
•	Screening levels are risk-based values that are used to determine if levels of contamination may
warrant further investigation at a site.
•	Using EPA's PFOA and PFOS Lifetime Drinking Water Health Advisory level of 70 ppt as the preliminary
remediation goal (PRG) for contaminated groundwater that is a current or potential source of drinking water,
where no state or tribal MCL or other applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) are
available or sufficiently protective.
•	PRGs are generally initial targets for cleanup, which may be adjusted on a site-specific basis as more
information becomes available.
After reviewing public comments on the agency's April 2019 draft guidance, EPA finalized the interim
recommendations based on the available data and scientific information on PFAS toxicity. EPA acknowledges
that the scientific information on these compounds is continuing to evolve. As part of the PFAS Action Plan, EPA
continues to develop and assess toxicity information, test methods, laboratory methods, analytical methods,
exposure models, and treatment methods, among other research efforts to improve the agency's knowledge about
this class of chemicals. As new information becomes available on other PFAS chemicals, the agency will consider
additional recommendations.
Administrator Andrew Wheeler tours a Superfund site.
"We welcome the EPA's release of the Interim
Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater
Contaminated with PF0A/PFAS under federal cleanup
programs," said the Association of State and Territorial
Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWM0).
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EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020

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CERCLA Hazardous Substance Designation
Helping other federal agencies, cities, states, and tribes address legacy PFAS contamination at Superfund sites
and other federal cleanup sites is one of the agency's top priorities under the PFAS Action Plan. In 2019, EPA
continued to provide technical assistance on site-specific PFAS challenges across the country, including using
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and other authorities,
as appropriate, to investigate sites. Along with EPA's work on the interim groundwater cleanup recommendations
issued in 2019, the agency continued moving forward with the regulatory process for proposing to designate PFOA
and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA.
Analytical Methods for Other Environmental Media
In addition to test methods for drinking water, EPA worked to develop test methods for PFAS in non-potable
groundwater, surface water, and wastewater. The agency issued for public comment SW-846 Method 8327, a
multi-lab validated method that is used
to conduct assessments and develop
remediation treatment technologies
and disposal practices. EPA accepted
comments through August 2019 on
the published method. The agency is
continuing to review those comment in
its efforts to revise the methods for future
publication in the SW-846 compendium in
2020.
Treatment and Disposal Research
The agency also has numerous PFAS
treatment and disposal research projects
underway, including on high temperature
incineration and other methods. The
agency is collaborating with other federal
partners, including the Department of
Defense, on efforts to increase the agency's
understanding and availability of treatment technologies for PFAS, including analytical methods. Under the NDAA
for Fiscal Year 2020, EPA will work to publish interim guidance on the destruction and disposal of PFAS within one
year and publish revisions every three years after that.
Ensuring Safety and Understanding PFAS in Commerce: EPA Actions Under the
Toxics Release Inventory and the Toxic Substances Control Act
EPA is responsible for reviewing new chemical substances before they enter commerce to help manage the
potential risk to public health and the environment from chemicals that are new to the marketplace. Since 2000,
EPA has reviewed hundreds of new PFAS chemicals. In many cases, the agency used its authority under the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA) to impose restrictions on these substances. The agency has also used its authority
to require companies to provide data on chemical properties, toxicity, and other health effects information. EPA has
expanded on these efforts under the PFAS Action Plan, including the agency's work to update the Toxics Release
Inventory program to include PFAS and efforts to finalize a Significant New Use Rule for PFAS chemicals.
EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020
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The Trwirc Relence Invontnrv	EPA continues t0 receive, review, and take appropriate risk
me iuaiij i\eieu>e mvemuiy	management actions for new PFAS chemicals received
In November 2019, EPA announced a 60-day public	through Pre-Manufacture Notices and Low Volume
comment period on potentially adding certain per-	Exemption Notices. For both types of notices, EPA
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of	conducts a full life-cycle risk assessment for the
chemicals that companies are required to report to the	chemical under the conditions of use.
agency as part of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
Exploring the addition of certain PFAS chemicals to the TRI is an important step that will provide information to
the public on these chemicals for the first time. The information gathered through this advance notice of proposed
rulemaking (ANPRM) will be used for two purposes:
•	First, the public input will help the agency determine whether data and information are available to fulfill the
TRI chemical listing criteria.
•	Second, EPA will use the input to help evaluate the extent and utility of the data that would be gathered
under the TRI.
In a separate but related effort, on December 31, 2019, EPA notified TRI reporters that facilities need to track and
collect data on PFAS chemicals during 2020, a new requirement included in the FY 2020 NDAA. To provide clear
information on which chemicals fall under the NDAA requirement, in February 2020, EPA released a list of 172
PFAS chemicals that are subject to TRI reporting. The NDAA also instructs EPA to consider adding additional PFAS
to the TRI chemical list. While the NDAA adds certain PFAS to the TRI chemical list, there are additional PFAS
that were not added by the NDAA. Through the ANPRM announced in November 2019, EPA solicited comments
on PFAS generally as they relate to TRI reporting, including comment on appropriate reporting thresholds,
categorization of PFAS, availability of information on human health and environmental toxicity, persistence, and
bioaccumulation of these additional PFAS that would help determine if they meet listing criteria.
EPA's TRI program is an important tool that provides the public with information about chemical releases and
pollution prevention activities reported by industrial and federal facilities. U.S. facilities in different industry
sectors must report annually how much of each chemical is released to the environment and/or managed
through recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. TRI reporting requirements state that a facility should use
readily available data collected pursuant to other provisions of law or, where such data are not readily available,
reasonable estimates of the amounts involved. Reporting on the recently added PFAS will be due by July 1, 2021,
for 2020 data including the PFAS added to the TRI by the NDAA. TRI information helps support informed decision-
making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the public.
Of the more than 600 PFAS
chemicals on the active TSCA
inventory, EPA has reviewed
almost 60 percent of them under
the new chemicals program.
Since 2006, the agency has
reviewed around 300 PFAS
new chemical notices and
has regulated about 200 with
consent orders and/or new
chemical SNURs.
Significant New Use Rule
In 2015, EPA proposed a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) for long-
chain PFAS that would require manufacturers (including importers) of
PFOA and certain PFOA-related chemicals to notify EPA at least 90 days
before starting or resuming manufacture (including import) or processing
for new uses of these chemicals in any products. In February 2020, EPA
issued a supplemental proposal that strengthens regulations on imported
products containing these chemicals in surface coatings. This supplemental
proposal, once final, would require EPA to review new uses of imported
products containing certain PFAS as a surface coating. EPA's 2020 proposal
supplements parts of the 2015 proposed rule on PFAS imports by clarifying
the categories of products that would be covered. When finalized, this rule
would ensure that uses which are phased out in products like furniture,
automobile parts, electronics, and household appliances that could contain these PFAS chemicals as a surface
coating cannot be imported to the U.S. unless EPA reviews the new uses and puts in place the necessary
restrictions to address any unreasonable risks. This action would close an important loophole that currently allows
products containing certain PFAS chemicals that have been phased out in the United States to still be imported
into the United States. It also would level the playing field for companies that have already voluntarily phased-out
the use of long-chain PFAS chemicals under EPA's PFOA Stewardship Program by preventing new uses of these
phased-out chemicals to begin again.
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EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020

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Increasing Research to Reduce Risks
The science needed to protect public health and the environment
from PFAS exposure cuts across many applications and disciplines.
EPA's goal under the PFAS Action Plan is to develop and apply
scientific information and tools to enable federal, state, local, and
tribal governments to work together to make informed decisions to
protect public health and the environment. Some of EPA's key research
accomplishments over the past year include the following.
PFAS in Agriculture and Rural Communities
In February 2019, Administrator Wheeler directed the Office of
Research and Development to "generate practical and actionable
science to help manage PFAS chemical issues impacting agriculture
and rural economies." Under this effort EPA has established a robust
workgroup with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on PFAS analytical methods
for agricultural and food products. The group is also collaborating
with USDA on modeling PFAS in contaminated dairy cows. EPA is
contributing to USDA's efforts under the 2019 Farm Bill to support
environmental remediation in rural American, which includes
addressing PFAS.
Analytical Methods R&D
There are hundreds of different PFAS chemicals of varying sizes and iengths and sampling. Analyzing them in
a comprehensive way has been a challenge that scientists at all levels of government are working to address.
EPA has published new test methods for drinking water, and is continuing to work on methods for groundwater,
surface water, and wastewater. The agency has also developed research methods for measuring PFAS in human
serum and urine, and estuarine water. The agency is also working to develop and apply high-resolution mass
spectrometry techniques to conduct Non-Targeted Analysis of PFAS in the environment, which is a critical step in
the agency's efforts to comprehensively address these chemicals. Finally, EPA is working to develop sampling and
analytical methods for detecting and measuring PFAS in stack emissions.
Toxicity and Effects R&D
EPA is currently researching the human health effects of seven of the most common PFAS. In 2019, EPA sought
public input on draft toxicity assessments for GenX chemicals and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). To
develop these draft toxicity assessments, the agency relied on the best available science, including input from
independent peer reviewers. The agency also engaged with federal and state partners throughout the development
of the draft assessments. For GenX, EPA has collaborated with a National Toxicology Program expert panel to
review the toxicological study to address key technical comments received on the proposed toxicity assessments
issued in 2018. The expert panel issued their report in 2019 and the agency looks forward to finalizing the
assessment in 2020. EPA expects to finalize the PFBS and GenX toxicity assessments in 2020 and will continue
working closely with all of its partners as the agency works to consider public input and revise these assessments.
Further, EPA is conducting an Integrated Risk information System (IRIS) assessment on perfluorodecanoic acid
(PFDA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexanoie acid (PFHxA), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS),
and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA). The IRIS assessments will identify the potential human health effects from
exposure to each assessed PFAS and will develop toxicity values, as supported by the available evidence. The
assessments will evaluate both cancer and noncancer effects, including potential effects on the endocrine, hepatic,
urinary, immune, developmental, and reproductive systems. EPA expects to propose draft toxicity values of these
chemicals for public and scientific review in 2020.
EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020
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Expanding Technical Assistance, Enforcement, and Support
Over the past year, EPA provided technical support to multiple states on PFAS contamination and treatment. EPA
is currently responding to requests for assistance from more than a dozen state and territorial governments by
screening for PFAS at high priority sites and training local health agencies to test for PFAS on their own. EPA is also
providing cleanup assistance to more than 30 states and the District of Columbia to address PFAS at contaminated
groundwater and soil sites. For example, at the request of the State of North Carolina, in 2017 and 2018 EPA
provided significant laboratory assistance to support the State's investigation of GenX in the Cape Fear River,
which resulted in a state enforcement action and February 2019 state settlement.
EPA is providing assistance to states across the United States.
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EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020

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Effective Enforcement
EPA has taken —and will continue to take—enforcement action, as appropriate, to address PFAS to protect human
health and the environment. For example, EPA took an enforcement action in 2019 against facilities in West
Virginia and North Carolina for violating requirements under the TSCA while manufacturing PFAS chemicals. In
October 2019, in coordination with Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, EPA issued an
administrative consent order under CERCLA to Wolverine World Wide, Inc. to complete removal action work related
to their Michigan facility that has both hazardous substance and PFAS contamination.
Since 2002, the agency has initiated 12 enforcement actions, including four since 2017. EPA will continue to partner
with states on compliance assistance and enforcement, as necessary. The agency is also continuing to investigate
PFAS releases, including issuing 20 information request letters and conducting 11 onsite inspections since July
2017, including joint inspections with states.
•	Specifically, EPA has issued a number of information requests regarding PFAS, including:
•	Five CWA information request letters since November 2018 regarding discharges of PFAS from
manufacturing or processing facilities,
•	Thirteen TSCA information request letters since January 2018,
•	One CERCLA information request letter in November 2017, and
•	One Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) information request letter in April 2018.
•	EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), with support from its National Enforcement
Investigations Center and Regional enforcement divisions, has carried out 11 inspections at eight PFAS
manufacturing or processing facilities since July 2017, under the authority of TSCA, CWA, and/or RCRA,
including joint inspections with states.
•	The agency has multiple criminal investigations underway concerning PFAS-related pollution.
EPA's regional offices are also
assisting their states to address
PFAS releases and contamination
with technical and enforcement
support, including joint-prosecution
agreements, investigations,
inspections, and sampling.
In addition, EPA oversees PFAS
response actions by federal
agencies at National Priorities List
sites. For example, EPA actively
engaged with the Army regarding
their decision to provide the Town
of Ayer, Massachusetts, with a
treatment system for well water
threatened by a PFAS plume
emanating from the former Fort
Devens Army base (now a BRAC
facility). In February 2019, the
Army agreed to take a CERCLA
Time Critical Removal Action
(TCRA) to address groundwater contamination above the Health Advisory. The TCRA committed Army to eliminate
the ongoing discharge of PFAS-contaminated water into surface water and fund installation of a drinking water
treatment system to address PFAS contamination in the public drinking water supply.
Information on EPA's federal agency compliance assistance is available on the FedCenter website where federal
agency PFAS contacts can share information and find resources.

EPA'S PFAS ACTION PLAN: PROGRAM UPDATE • FEBRUARY 2020
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PFAS in Air
Under the PFAS Action Plan, EPA is working to better characterize and understand the environmental impacts
of PFAS emitted to the air. This work will build on the scientific foundation that has been established to develop
sampling and measurement methods for PFAS in air, assess effectiveness of PFAS disposal methods, and
understand the efficacy of emission control technology. EPA also has provided support to states on technical
matters on destruction and incineration of PFAS in contaminated waste and materials.
Tribal and International Support
EPA has provided robust support to both the tribal
and international communities. In Indian Country,
tribes are impacted in a number of different ways
including their proximity to airports, military bases,
industrial facilities, landfills, and past fires. Through
its efforts the agency has met with tribes and with
representatives from the European Union, Finland,
the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark,
Australia, and Japan. The agency's PFAS Action
Plan has provided these partners with a roadmap to
addressing PFAS within their own countries and in
Indian Country. The interactions have also provided
opportunities for the agency to learn about the
actions other countries are taking to address PFAS.
Funding for Additional PFAS Efforts
As a leader in the nation's efforts to address PFAS in the environment, EPA recognizes that providing funding to
external organizations is a critical component to successfully addressing these chemicals. Some of the agency's
funding efforts include the following.
Ecological Exposure
In May 2019, EPA awarded approximately $3.9 million through two grants for research that will improve
understanding of human and ecological exposure to PFAS in the environment. The research will also promote a
greater awareness of how to restore water quality in PFAS-impacted communities.
•	The Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado will research the fate, transport, bioaccumulation, and
exposure of a diverse suite of PFAS in nationally representative PFAS impacted communities.
•	Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon will study the toxicity of a large collection of PFAS and PFAS
mixtures with the zebrafish assay and mice studies to identify toxic PFAS that require prioritization for risk
management.
Environmental Risks :n Wasle
In September 2019, EPA also awarded nearly $6 million to fund research by eight organizations to expand the
understanding of the environmental risks posed by PFAS in waste streams and to identify practical approaches to
manage the potential impacts as PFAS enters the environment. Funding was awarded to:
•	New York State Department of Health - Health Research Inc., Menands, N.Y. - to build a dataset by analyzing
samples from approximately 150 landfills In the State of New York. This data will be used to understand the
types and concentrations of PFAS that are found in and around landfills, as well as the key landfill attributes
that contribute to release of PFAS.
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•	North Carolina State University, Raieigh, N.C. - to coiiect iandfiii gas (LFG) samples from over 400 landfills
across the U.S. to determine if PFAS from LFG is a significant source of PFAS released into the atmosphere.
•	University of Florida, Gainsville, Fla. - to study the role of waste type, management strategies, and treatment
methods on the occurrence, source and fate of PFAS in landfills. The study will identify the sources of
PFAS compounds in the current domestic waste stream using laboratory-scale batch leaching, and landfill
simulation studies.
•	Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. - to examine the chemical process for the destruction of PFAS in leachate
and groundwater. This project will assess degradation kinetics, test hypothesized process modifications, and
conduct trials of leachate treatment.
•	Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. - to develop methods to decrease PFAS concentrations in both
municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent and sludge. The study will determine the technical and
economic feasibility of using a treatment approach consisting of nanofiltration followed by electrochemical
oxidation.
•	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas - to investigate the feasibility of electron beam
technology for the destruction of PFAS compounds during the remediation of groundwater, wastewater,
sewage sludges, and soils.
•	Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas - to identify and quantify the occurrence of PFAS in landfill leachate,
investigate the fate of PFAS passing through typical landfill liner systems, and test the ability to break down
PFAS in landfill leachate using soundwaves.
•	University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D. - to develop practical strategies for removing legacy and
emerging PFAS from leachate and groundwater by studying the adsorption, desorption, and biodegradation
of PFAS and precursor compounds in landfills.
PFAS in Agriculture
In November 2019, EPA announced the
availability of nearly $5 million for new
research on PFAS in agriculture, which will
help fulfill Administrator Wheeler's call for
the agency to prioritize new federal research
that will help farmers, ranchers, and rural
communities.
"NASDA appreciates the EPA's efforts to
prioritize PFAS research that will help the
agricultural community. As the primary
stewards for the agricultural industries in
their states, NASDA members will continue
to work closely with the EPA as the agency
implements its PFAS Action Plan. Together,
we can ensure healthy communities and farms
across America," said National Association
of State Departments of Agriculture
(NASDA) CEO Dr. Barbara P. Glenn.
"EPA is uniquely suited to lead and promote research on this important topic and USDA applauds EPA's focus
on farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. EPA's funding of this research complements the work USDA does
supporting U.S. production agriculture and ensuring a safe food supply," said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for
Research, Education, and Economics Dr. Scott Hutchins.
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PFAS Under the Drinking Water State Revolving Fond (DWSRF)
The DWSRF can provide financial assistance to publicly-owned and privately-owned community water systems,
as well as non-profit non-community water systems, for drinking water infrastructure projects. Projects must
either facilitate the system's compliance with national primary drinking water regulations or significantly further the
health protection objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Infrastructure needs related to addressing PFAS are
eligible projects. Examples of projects could include funding equipment, such as laboratory equipment, upgrading
treatment technologies to add PFAS removal capability, and funding routine training for system operators.
Risk Communications and Engagement
Risk communication and engagement are critical for EPA to effectively support communities across the United
States that are addressing PFAS. As outlined in the PFAS Action Plan, EPA is actively working to enhance the way
in which the agency communicates about potential human health risks that may be associated with PFAS.
At the National Leadership Summit and throughout the public engagement sessions the agency held across the
country, EPA heard that it is important to clearly explain the actions the agency is taking as well as the specific
concerns that those actions are intended to address. Throughout the past year, the agency has consistently
worked to ensure that both of those goals were met. Through press releases, public speaking engagements,
congressional testimony, social media, and on www.epa.gov, the agency is ensuring that its voice is clearly
articulated in the public discourse as it relates to these chemicals. EPA's actions, and the corresponding
communications products, show EPA's robust, comprehensive and collaborative approach to accurately and
appropriately communicate risk to the public.
EPA Administrator Wheeler has made risk communications a priority for the agency since he became Administrator.
Over the past year, EPA has worked to expand its risk communications efforts internally, which include a strong
focus on PFAS. Over the next year, the agency looks forward to rolling out new materials; continuing to coordinate
with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to ensure consistent messaging; and adding training opportunities
for the agency's workforce. Together, these efforts will help the agency enhance the public's understanding of the
potential health effects associated with PFAS and provide support to all the agency's partners.
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EPA is committed to continuing to aggressively implement the PFAS Action Plan—the most comprehensive cross-
agency plan ever to address an emerging chemical of concern. EPA's Action Plan and the progress that has been
made over the past year under the Plan demonstrates the agency's leadership role at the national level to address
this emerging environmental concern. This includes ensuring that instances where PFAS pose risk to public health
or the environment are identified and quickly addressed. The agency looks forward to continued progress both
within and outside of the agency. Over the next year, EPA will make progress on addressing PFAS under the Safe
Drinking Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act. The agency will also work to expand its
research efforts as well as enhance the agency's engagement with the rest of the federal government. The agency
will also focus its efforts on providing more information and data to the public.
"For the first time in Agency history, we utilized all of our program offices
to construct an all-encompassing plan to help states and local communities
address PFAS and protect our nation's drinking water. We have moved forward,
and continue to forward, with several important actions, including the maximum
contaminant level process, that will help affected communities
better monitor, detect, and address PFAS."
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler
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