160 PFAS Chemicals Added to EPCRA TRI Reporting List

Tucked in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a provision to add certain per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the EPCRA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) list of reportable chemicals. The TRI additions outlined below are effective as of January 1, 2020.   

Congress added PFAS chemicals that meet two criteria. The chemicals added were:

• subject to a TSCA significant new use rule (SNUR) on or before December 20, 2019; and
• identified as active in commerce on the TSCA inventory published in February 19. 

In total, 160 PFAS chemicals were added to the list of reportable substances under the TRI program.

Click to view the full list of substances added to the TRI reporting in the 2020 NDAA. 

EPA planned to add PFAS chemicals to the EPCRA TRI list as part of a four-part PFAS action plan to address these substances in drinking water. Adding these PFAS chemicals to the EPCRA TRI hazardous substance list will facilitate cleanup of sites contaminated with these chemicals.

Need help with EPCRA TRI reporting? Browse Lion's full suite of consulting solutions and contact us today to learn how we can help you complete reports and simplify compliance. 

While production of these persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals has been largely phased out in the United States, some producers still offer them from existing stock and they can still be imported into the US for a limited number of uses.

Read more: 5 Tips for EPCRA TRI Reports Due July 1 (2019) 

What are PFAS?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a category of over 10,000 chemicals most notably found in fire retardant foams and food packaging. However, they are also found in many everyday consumer products, such as nonstick cookware and furniture.

PFOS and PFOA are among the most notorious PFAS chemicals. Although production of PFOS and PFOA has been largely phased out in the US, their widespread previous use makes these highly prevalent and pervasive in many drinking water systems throughout the country.

PFAS have been nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they never break down once released into the environment, leaving these chemicals to build up in our blood and organs. Even low doses of PFAS chemicals in drinking water have been linked to an increased risk of cancer, reproductive and immune system harm, liver and thyroid disease, and other health complications.

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Tags: CERCLA, chemical reporting, hazardous substances, new rules, PFAS