SGS Updates:
Missed our latest PFAS webinar?
You can still catch the replay of, “PFAS at the Federal Level: Navigating Requirements, Risk, and Response” here.
Jane Huber, Jamie Fox, and Bharat discussed the most recent updates to EPA Method 1633A, data quality expectations under the DoD Quality Systems Manual (QSM) and strategies for risk assessment, legacy contamination, and emerging pathways like airborne PFAS.
Stay tuned! Click on SGS PFAS/emerging contaminants analysis capabilities, and see why SGS delivers what you need every step of way.
US Policy News
EPA Enforcement Order Addresses Unauthorized Release of PFAS-Containing Foam into Maine Waters
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) addressing an August 2024 accidental release of 1,450 gallons of firefighting foam that contained per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a fire suppression system hangar at the Brunswick Executive Airport in Brunswick, Maine. The aqueous film-forming (AFFF) foam reached several local waterbodies, including the Androscoggin River, Harpswell Cove, Merriconeag Stream, and Mare Brook.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced next steps regarding regulatory efforts to address cleanup of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). EPA’s progress on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) started under the first Trump Administration, and that historic work continues today. At this time, EPA is retaining the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) hazardous substance designation for PFOA and PFOS and will be initiating future rulemaking to establish a uniform framework governing designation of hazardous substances under section 102(a) of CERCLA moving forward.
EPA aims to loosen chemical regulations via controversial standards
The agency proposes to undo several aspects of a major US chemical law, including the definition of ‘weight of scientific evidence’. The US Environmental Protection Agency released a proposal Monday to undo three major changes to the country’s primary chemical law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), that were made under the Joe Biden administration.
US News by State
National
Pre-Birth Exposure to Forever Chemicals May Harm the Immune System
Studies have even shown that contact with PFAS can lower a person’s response to certain vaccines. PFAS are very hard to break down, so they build up in both the environment and people. More than 95% of people in the United States have PFAS in their blood. But the specific effects of PFAS exposure in utero and in early life are not well known.
With support from the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program, researchers at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry studied 200 healthy mother-baby pairs during the first trimester of pregnancy and followed them through the babies’ first birthdays.
Michigan
PFAS cleanups delayed by years at Michigan military sites
The US Department of Defense has extended by years cleanup timelines at several Michigan military sites contaminated with PFAS “forever chemicals,” drawing criticisms from lawmakers and community advocates.
With no public announcement, the Pentagon recently updated an online timeline that shows when it expects to complete investigations that are a prerequisite to final cleanup plans for 723 sites nationwide.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health Services issued a consumption advisory warning people to limit or avoid fish from several lakes in Oneida County, about two hours northwest of Green Bay.
Sampling revealed PFOS — a type of PFAS — in fish at levels consistently above state guidelines.
California
California moves to ban PFAS in consumer goods
California’s legislature has approved a bill restricting the use of PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” in food packaging, cookware, cleaning products, dental floss, ski wax and some children’s items. The Assembly passed the measure 41-19, with 20 abstentions. It now awaits the Governor’s signature, with a deadline of 12 October.
New York
EPA Planning Rollback of NY Water Laws
Current rules require water utilities nationwide to test drinking water for PFAS and to install filtration or find a new water source if high levels of PFAS are detected. If the EPA succeeds in rolling back these critical drinking water protections, over 1 million New Yorkers will be exposed to dangerous PFAS contamination every time they turn on the tap.
Texas
Fort Worth Secures $4M State Loan To Remove Forever Chemicals From Wastewater
Fort Worth has secured a $4 million state loan to upgrade wastewater treatment plants and reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment.
Federal agencies have linked PFAS exposure to serious health risks.
City officials said the loan will help address PFAS contamination affecting local water sources as part of broader legal and technological efforts to protect public health.
Ohio
3M Corporation pays $4 million to Columbus in ‘forever chemical’ lawsuit settlement
Chemical manufacturer 3M agreed to an initial $4 million settlement with the city of Columbus over the production of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals.
Illinois
IL bans PFAS in firefighter gear by 2027, raising safety, market questions
Illinois firefighters will soon be wearing protective gear free of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” under a new state law supporters say will save lives but that also raises questions about costs and supply.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Deputy Chief Pete Bendinelli PFAS PPE Act, banning firefighter gear with PFAS starting in 2027. Supporters say it will help cut cancer risks, now the leading cause of firefighter deaths.
Canada News
Canada proposes actions to address “forever chemicals” in firefighting foams
Earlier this year, the federal government proposed a multi-phase risk management approach for PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers. Today, the Government is publishing the consultation document on Phase 1 of the proposed risk management for the class of PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers. This phase proposes to address all known remaining uses of PFAS that are not already regulated in firefighting foams.
PFAS-containing firefighting foams, also known as aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), are used to put out dangerous fires that involve flammable liquids. These foams are mainly used in civil and military aviation and in the chemical and petroleum industries.
Global News
PFAS, Pesticide, Pharmaceuticals, and Heavy Metals Found in Backyard Eggs Underscore Toxic Threat
Reinforcing numerous studies’ findings of widespread environmental contamination with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), heavy metals, pesticide metabolites, and pharmaceuticals, researchers detected the chemicals in noncommercial backyard eggs laid in Greece, according to a study published in Science of The Total Environment. The researchers found that “[o]nly 9 out of 17 samples were compliant to the limit….set by the [European Union] for the sum of PFHxS [perfluorohexanesulfonic acid], PFOS [perfluorooctanesulfonic acid], PFOA [perfluorooctanoic acid], and PFNA [perfluorononanoic acid].
PFAS ambient testing program underway in Tuggerah Lakes
A six-month PFAS ambient surface water sampling program is now underway at Tuggerah Lakes on the Central Coast to help determine the distribution and concentration of any PFAS in the catchment.
Until January 2026, the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW) will take monthly samples at 19 different locations around the lakes system for a range of PFAS.