Designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) as CERCLA Hazardous Substances

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 302</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0341; FRL-7204-03-OLEM]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2050-AH09</RIN> <SUBJECT>Designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) as CERCLA Hazardous Substances</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> Pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA” or “Superfund”), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers—as hazardous substances. The Agency reached this decision after evaluating the available scientific and technical information about PFOA and PFOS and determining that they may present a substantial danger to the public health or welfare or the environment when released. The Agency also determined that designation is warranted based on a totality of the circumstances analysis, including an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of designation. </SUM> <DATES> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Effective July 8, 2024. </DATES> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> EPA has established a docket for this rulemaking under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0341. All documents in the docket are listed in <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/.</E> Although listed, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy. With the exception of such material, publicly available docket materials are available electronically in <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov.</E> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Sicy Jacob, Office of Emergency Management (5104A), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number 202-564-8019; email address: <E T="03">jacob.sicy@epa.gov</E> or Linda Strauss, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number 202-564-0797; email address: <E T="03">strauss.linda@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Acronyms and Abbreviations:</E> We use multiple acronyms and terms in this preamble. While this list may not be exhaustive, to ease the reading of the preamble and for reference purposes, EPA defines the following terms and acronyms here: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">AFFF Aqueous film-forming foam</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ARARs Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CASRN Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">COC Contaminant of Concern</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CDR Chemical Data Reporting</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DoD Department of Defense</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DOE Department of Energy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EA Economic Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ECF Electrochemical fluorination</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EJ Environmental justice</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EU European Union</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FAA Federal Aviation Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FDA Food and Drug Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ICR Information Collection Request</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LEPC Local Emergency Planning Committee</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MCL Maximum contaminant level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NAICS North American Industrial Classification System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NCP National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NECI National Enforcement Compliance Initiative</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NHANES National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPL National Priorities List</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NRC National Response Center</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PFAS Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PFOA Perfluorooctanoic acid</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PFOS Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PFOSA Perfluorooctanesulfonamide</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PHGs Public health goals</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ppt parts per trillion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PRG Preliminary remediation goal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PRP Potentially responsible party</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PRSC Post-Removal Site Control</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PWS Public water system</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RfD Reference dose</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RQ Reportable quantity</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SAB Science Advisory Board</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SERC State Emergency Response Commission</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SNURs Significant New Use Rules</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TEPC Tribal Emergency Planning Committee</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TERC Tribal Emergency Response Commission</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TRI Toxic Release Inventory</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UCMR Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S. United States</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">WWTP Wastewater treatment plant</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents </HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What action is the Agency taking?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. What are the Direct Effects of this Action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. What is the Agency's Authority for taking this Action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. What are CERCLA's primary objectives, and how does it operate to protect human health and the environment?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. How does CERCLA authority and causes of action differ in key respects between “hazardous substances” and “pollutants or contaminants”?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. What response actions does CERCLA authorize?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. What discretionary authority does CERCLA provide and how does CERCLA prioritize cleanup actions?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. What is the CERCLA cleanup process and what role does the National Priorities List (NPL) play in it?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. What is the process for identifying and selecting remedial actions under CERCLA?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">6. How does CERCLA's framework ensure that those responsible for contamination pay for cleanup?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">7. What enforcement discretion is available when exercising CERCLA authority?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">8. Why is understanding CERCLA's overarching provisions critical to understanding the importance of this rulemaking to EPA's ability to protect human health and the environment?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Background of this Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Summary of Proposed Designation.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. PFOA and PFOS Production and Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. EPA's PFAS Strategic Map</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Legal Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. CERCLA section 102(a) Designation Considerations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Consistency with other methodologies for identifying CERCLA hazardous substances.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. CERCLA Section 102(a) and Cost Considerations.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. PFOA and PFOS may present a substantial danger to the public health or welfare or the environment when released into the environment.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. PFOA and PFOS Pose a Hazard.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Information about the fate and transport of PFOA and PFOS demonstrate that they are Persistent and Mobile in the Environment.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Other Information Considered.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. The totality of the circumstances confirms that designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances is warranted.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Advantages of designation</FP> </EXTRACT> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Designation enables earlier, broader, and more effective cleanups of contaminated sites.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Designation opens up CERCLA's notification, response, enforcement, and cost recovery authorities, which allows EPA to more timely address contaminated sites.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. The availability of CERCLA enforcement and cost recovery authority ensures that polluters are financially responsible, which is consistent with CERCLA.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">c. EPA expects designation will increase Emergency Response and Removal Actions for PFOA/PFOS.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">d. EPA expects that shifting costs to PRPs to address PFOA/PFOS contamination at NPL sites will make Fund money available for other response work.</FP> <FP SOUR ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 498k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━