EPA proposes designating two ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances

On Friday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to designate PFOA and PFOS, two of the oldest types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have been linked to serious health effects like cancer, as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Emergency Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

This designation would allow the EPA to clean up sites contaminated with PFOA and PFOS through the Superfund program. In doing so, PFAS polluters would be held accountable for the cleanup of these dangerous chemicals.

Read more about the EPA’s proposal in PIRG’s press statement.