The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) finalized a rule that improves reporting on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). USEPA eliminated an exemption that allowed facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals were used in small concentrations.
The so-called “forever chemicals” are used at low concentrations in many products. As a result of the exemption removal, covered industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, and chemical manufacturing, as well as Federal facilities that make or use any of the 189 TRI-listed PFAS, will no longer be able to avoid disclosing the quantities of PFAS they manage or release into the environment.
TRI data is reported to USEPA annually by facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric power generation, chemical manufacturing and hazardous waste treatment, as well as Federal facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use notable quantities of TRI-listed chemicals. The data include quantities of chemicals that were released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste.
Among the updated online TRI tools, communities can use USEPA’s TRI Toxics Tracker to map the locations of TRI-reporting facilities and learn more about their chemical releases, other chemical waste management practices, and pollution prevention activities. The public can view supporting materials in the docket once the rule is published in the Federal Register.