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February 7, 2025

EPA Postpones Addition of Nine PFAS to Toxics Release Inventory for Reporting Year 2025

On February 5, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delayed until March 21, 2025, the effective date of a January 2025 rule adding nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to 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. 9010. As reported in our January 13, 2025, blog item, the January rule updates the regulations...
February 4, 2025

MPCA Recommends Exempting until 2032 Intentionally Added PFAS in Electronic or Other Internal Components within the 11 Product Categories Prohibiting PFAS in 2025

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has posted a January 2025 report to the legislature regarding recommendations for products containing lead, cadmium, and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). During the previous legislative session, the legislature directed MPCA to support a report by January 31, 2025, with legislative recommendations related to the following chemicals and products: The MPCA report recommends that the legislature grant an exemption until 2032 for the...
January 22, 2025

EPA Proposes to Clarify Supplier Notification Requirements for TRI-Listed PFAS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on January 17, 2025, to clarify the timeframe for when companies must first notify a customer that one of its mixtures or trade name products contains a per- or polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) listed on the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). 90 Fed. Reg. 5795. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA) adds certain PFAS automatically to the TRI beginning January 1 of the year following specific...
January 15, 2025

Pulling the Threads of the ‘Complicated Patchwork of Federal and State Law’ around PFAS Class Action Lawsuits

On January 7, 2025, Lynn L. Bergeson was interviewed by Christopher Bornmann in Pulling the Threads of the ‘Complicated Patchwork of Federal and State Law’ around PFAS Class Action Lawsuits for the 3E blog. Portions of this article covering the current landscape surrounding PFAS class action lawsuits are shared below by permission. To better understand the current landscape surrounding PFAS class action lawsuits and how companies can protect themselves from litigation, 3E sat down with Lynn...
January 15, 2025

Lynn L. Bergeson, “The Cost of Cleanup: Preparing for PFAS remediation battles,” Corporate Disputes, January – March 2025.

In April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened an enormous can of worms for entities even remotely association with the generation, transport, use or disposal of two legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). In designating the PFAS as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the EPA greenlit the initiation of...
January 14, 2025

EPA Releases Draft Risk Assessment of PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids, Will Hold Webinar on January 15, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 14, 2025, a draft risk assessment of the potential human health risks associated with the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in biosolids, also known as sewage sludge. According to EPA, the findings show that there may be human health risks associated with exposure to PFOA or PFOS with all three methods of using or disposing of sewage sludge — land application...
January 14, 2025

Cookware Association Files Federal Challenge to Minnesota’s Ban on PFAS in Cookware

The Cookware Sustainability Alliance (CSA) announced on January 9, 2025, that it has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, seeking a preliminary injunction of Minnesota’s ban on the sale of cookware containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). CSA v. Kessler (No. 0:25-cv-00041). According to CSA, the chemical coating on nonstick cookware contains fluoropolymers, which “are fundamentally different compounds from the chemicals that...
January 6, 2025

2025 Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), its global consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®), and consortia management affiliate B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) are pleased to share with you our 2025 Forecast. For all the reasons you might imagine, our seasoned team was especially challenged this year in speculating on what to expect in 2025 regarding global industrial, agricultural, and biocidal chemical regulatory and policy initiatives. Given the European Parliamentary...
December 31, 2024

Maine Proposes Rule Regarding Products Containing Intentionally Added PFAS

On December 20, 2024, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) published a proposed rule regarding products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The rule would establish criteria for currently unavoidable uses (CUU) of intentionally added PFAS in products and implement sales prohibitions and notification requirements for products containing intentionally added PFAS but determined to be a CUU. MDEP will hold a public hearing on January 16,...
December 11, 2024

Senate Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Public Health Impacts of PFAS Exposures

On December 5, 2024, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight held a hearing on “Examining the Public Health Impacts of PFAS Exposures.” The Subcommittee heard from the following witnesses (written testimony is not available at this time): A transcript of the hearing is available online. Schaider testified that there needs to be a comprehensive strategy to address all per- and...