Taft PFAS Insights

Updates and Analysis from Taft Attorneys

EPA is requiring additional testing at sites subject to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund) five-year review based on PFAS standards issued under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

In April 2024, EPA finalized a rule designating two of the most studied and prevalent PFAS,  Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane

On July 24, 2024, Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) published a study relating to the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in pesticide products. PFAS are a class of manmade chemicals used for decades in industrial/consumer products because of properties like resistance to heat, fire, stains, and water. PFAS have been linked to serious health

On July 22, 2024, the Center for Food Safety and several other entities submitted a petition to EPA relating to the potential presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in pesticide products registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The petition cites to studies and reports showing the presence of PFAS in

On May 1, 2024, Colorado became the thirteenth state to pass legislation banning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS. The move comes shortly after PFAS received exceptional public attention when EPA finalized its first-ever national drinking water standards for six PFAS this past April. The release of these new standards now requires

Since EPA announced a Final Rule designating certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances, there has been ample national attention on what the legal and regulatory landscape would look like in restricting these dangerous substances. Various states have taken independent action to curtail the significant health and environmental risks posed by PFAS. Recently,

The State of Michigan recently took another step aimed at protecting the environment and public health from the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Last week, State Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) and Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck) introduced The Hazardous Products Act under House Bill 5657 (the “Legislation”), which would prohibit, the

On April 10, 2024, U.S. EPA announced a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

The final rule requires public water systems to: (1) complete

On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the pending publication of a final rule designating two widely used per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)—as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

This announcement comes approximately a year and a half after

The coalition of law firms, including Taft, that have been working together for over a decade to lead litigation and secure settlements on behalf of those harmed by PFAS contamination, have announced another major settlement to address this “forever chemicals” contamination in U.S. drinking water supplies in the context of the ongoing multi-district litigation to