The EPA on Tuesday proposed a broad set of changes to formally eliminate exemptions from its full safety review process for new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other persistent chemicals that can linger for years in the environment.
Under the proposal, new PFAS chemicals would be “categorically ineligible” for low-volume or low release and exposure exemptions before they’re manufactured. Under those exemptions, chemicals can be subjected to an expedited 30-day review, rather than the typical 90-day review before a premanufacture notice.
The same rules would apply to other persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals.
The EPA said in 2021 that ...