Trump order halts EPA’s proposed limits on PFAS discharges
(UI) — The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) withdrew the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) and Standards for PFAS Manufacturers on Jan. 21.
The EPA's Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) for PFAS manufacturers set national standards for the allowable levels of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) discharged into surface waters by industrial facilities. These guidelines establish technology-based standards for wastewater treatment, requiring PFAS manufacturers to implement measures that minimize their environmental impact.
The decision followed President Trump’s Executive Order for a Regulatory Freeze Pending Review, as the rule had not been finalized.
Some reports have mistakenly linked this withdrawal to the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR), which was finalized in April 2024. However, the NPDWR remains in effect. The withdrawn PFAS ELG rule aimed to help protect drinking water sources by regulating industrial discharges.
The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), along with the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA), the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO), and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), submitted joint comments in May 2021. They urged the EPA to take swift action on PFAS regulations across all industrial sectors.
In January 2023, EPA released its final Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) Plan 15, including a determination that revised ELGs and pretreatment standards are warranted for reducing PFAS in leachate discharges from landfills. Plan 15 also announced an expansion of the ongoing study of PFAS discharges from textile manufacturers and a new study of POTW influents to publicly owned treatment works.
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