Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has delayed the reporting period for a final rule that requires manufacturers and importers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to submit information on use, exposures and hazards.
An agency final rule published April 13 states that the submission period will begin Jan. 31 or 60 days after the effective date of a “forthcoming” final rule covering the extent of information employers must report – whichever comes first.
EPA says it plans to issue the final rule later this year, adding that a revised start date “gives companies clear direction and accountability.”
An October 2023 final rule requires anyone who has manufactured or imported PFAS – also known as “forever chemicals” because they break down very slowly over time – since 2011 to report certain data, including:
- Chemical identity
- Uses
- Worker exposure
- Volumes made and processed
- Byproducts
- Environmental and health effects
- Disposal
EPA says it’s “taking final action on a discrete aspect” of a November proposal that would scale back reporting requirements and needs more time to review “thousands of public comments.”
Under the proposed rule, EPA would exempt reporting on “activities about which manufacturers are least likely to know or reasonably ascertain”:
- PFAS manufactured (including import) in mixtures or products at concentrations of 0.1% or lower
- Imported articles
- Certain byproducts
- Impurities
- Research and development chemicals
- Non-isolated intermediates
EPA says it’s also taking additional time to update an electronic reporting tool that prompted two previous delays to the reporting window. The tool is intended to “help ensure the collected data is complete, accessible and useful to regulators, communities and researchers.”
