EPA’s Pursuit of PFAS: Post-Election Policy Shifts

On November 10, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the pre-publication draft proposed rule to amend the PFAS reporting requirements under TSCA, entitled “Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Data Reporting and Recordkeeping Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); Revision to Regulation.” The proposal aims to augment the exemptions to the scope of the reporting requirements and introduces additional modifications to make the rule “more practical and implementable and reduce unnecessary, or potentially duplicative, reporting requirements for businesses.” Potentially offering even greater flexibility, it concludes with a request for comment on additional provisions. 

On September 4, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (finally) published its Spring 2025 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (UA), a semiannual publication outlining federal agencies’ regulatory priorities and timelines for the upcoming year. The UA included a notice of its intent to rescind drinking water limits set by a Biden-era rule for three per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances and one PFAS mixture. EPA also published a notice of intent to retain limits on PFOA and PFOS, although with extended timelines for compliance.

On August 20, 2025, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden submitted an update to the proposal to restrict PFAS under the European Union’s REACH regulation that they originally submitted in January 2023. The revision reflects their comprehensive evaluation of more than 5,000 scientific and technical comments submitted by stakeholders, including industry representatives, researchers and civil society organizations.

On August 6, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) became the latest governmental agency to confirm that fluoropolymers are both safe and necessary. After an independent safety review of fluoropolymers in medical devices showed no conclusive evidence of health issues, FDA concluded that fluoropolymers are “very unlikely to cause toxicity” because of molecular size and further that they are essential for medical devices to function. As a result, “FDA’s evaluation is that currently there is no reason to restrict their continued use in devices.”