US Environmental Protection Agency Finalizes Rule on Enhanced PFAS Reporting to the Toxics Release Inventory

On 20 October 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a rule that strengthens reporting requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The rule eliminates an exemption that allowed facilities to withhold information on PFAS when the chemicals were used in low concentrations.  

PFAS are commonly referred to as "forever chemicals" and are found in low concentrations in a variety of products. By removing of the reporting exemption, the rule applies to all industry sectors, including metal mining and chemical manufacturing, as well as federal facilities that manufacture or use any of the 189 PFASs listed in the TRI. This rule ensures that facilities can no longer withhold information regarding the amounts of PFAS that they manage or release into the environment. 

Toxics Release Inventory 

EPA’s TRI Toxics Tracker (TRI) compiles annual data from various industries, including manufacturing, mining, power generation and chemical production. It includes information on the quantities of chemicals released into the environment or managed as waste.  

This data helps communities understand how local facilities handle listed chemicals and supports informed decisions by businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the public. EPA's updated online TRI tools, such as the TRI-listed chemicals, allow communities to map reporting facilities, view chemical releases, waste management, and pollution prevention efforts. 

PFAS in the Toxics Release Inventory 

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) initially added 172 PFAS chemicals to the TRI for reporting in 2021, with a framework for adding more in the future. Facilities were required to report if they used more than 100 pounds of these substances, a lower threshold than most other TRI-listed chemicals.  

However, the previous administration's codification of the NDAA did not address the availability of the de minimis exemption or other reporting burden reduction provisions, which had allowed facilities reporting to TRI to avoid reporting minimal concentrations of PFAS chemicals.  

The new rule nullifies the prior exemption for all chemicals on the TRI list of chemicals of special concern, including lead, mercury, and dioxins that accumulate in the body over time.