EPA Updates Toxic Chemical Release Reporting for PFAS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 6, 2025, that it is updating the list of chemicals subject to toxic chemical release reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). 90 Fed. Reg. 573. Specifically, the final rule updates the regulations to identify nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that must be reported pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020 NDAA) enacted on December 20, 2019. EPA notes that as this action is being taken to conform the regulations to a Congressional legislative mandate, notice and comment rulemaking is unnecessary. The PFAS added to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the triggering events are:

• Ammonium perfluorodecanoate (PFDA NH4) (Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number^® (CAS RN^®) 3108-42-7) (Final Toxicity Value);
• Sodium perfluorodecanoate (PFDA-Na) (CAS RN 3830-45-3) (Final Toxicity Value);
• Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (CAS RN 377-73-1) (Final Toxicity Value);
• 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonate acid (CAS RN 27619-97-2) (Final Toxicity Value);
• 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonate anion (CAS RN 425670-75-3) (Final Toxicity Value);
• 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonate potassium salt (CAS RN 59587-38-1) (Final Toxicity Value);
• 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonate ammonium salt (CAS RN 59587-39-2) (Final Toxicity Value);
• 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonate sodium salt (CAS RN 27619-94-9) (Final Toxicity Value); and
• Acetic acid, [(γ-ω-perfluoro-C8-10-alkyl)thio] derivs., Bu esters (CAS RN 3030471-22-5) (Confidential Business Information (CBI) Declassification).

The final rule will be effective February 5, 2025. As of January 1, 2025, facilities that are subject to reporting requirements for these PFAS should begin tracking their activities involving these chemicals as required by EPCRA Section 313. Reporting forms will be due by July 1, 2026.