During the early stages of the Biden administration, efforts to regulate per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, aka “PFAS,” were largely piecemeal and driven by various proposals in Congress. Last month, however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a “Strategic Roadmap” that sets forth the agency’s comprehensive plan to study and regulate PFAS. The roadmap will have a significant impact on municipal and industrial entities.

Nicknamed “forever chemicals,” PFAS are a broad group of manmade chemicals used in a wide range of consumer products and industrial processes due to their qualities to be waterproof, stainresistant, and nonstick. As a result, PFAS are ubiquitous and have been released into the environment and drinking water supplies through their myriad applications. Importantly, these forever chemicals are reported to have a variety of adverse health effects.

Originally published in the Daily Journal - November 22, 2021.