Biden-Harris Administration Makes Unprecedented Progress to Protect Communities from PFAS Pollution

New report highlights key EPA accomplishments under national strategy to confront PFAS “forever chemicals” in communities across the country

November 14, 2024

WASHINGTON – Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delivered bold and concrete actions to protect people from PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in their water and everyday lives while dramatically increasing investments in research and solutions. Specific actions and progress are detailed in EPA’s third annual progress report, highlighting the significant achievements the agency has made under its PFAS Strategic Roadmap and the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals.

“Before President Biden took office, the federal government wasn’t doing enough to address PFAS pollution across the country. The Biden-Harris Administration has since taken unprecedented steps to develop the science, implement strong standards, and invest billions into solutions to protect all Americans from these forever chemicals,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Our actions are making a difference in communities across America, and especially in those that have been overburdened by pollution for far too long.”

PFAS are an urgent threat to public health and the environment. Communities across the nation are discovering these chemicals in their air, land, and water. The science is clear: exposure to certain PFAS poses significant risks to human health, including cancer, even at very low levels. In 2021, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan established the EPA Council on PFAS and charged the group to develop the agency’s strategic roadmap. The roadmap is EPA’s commitment to confront PFAS contamination head on – by following the science, leveraging all available tools and authorities, holding polluters accountable, and investing historic levels of resources to protect communities. 

Progress on PFAS During the Biden-Harris Administration

• Protecting drinking water: In 2024, EPA announced the first-ever, nationwide, legally enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS. The final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses.  Since early 2021, EPA has also been undertaking the largest nationwide effort to understand the frequency that PFAS is found in drinking water, and at what levels. Under this program, EPA is collecting, and making publicly available, data on 29 different PFAS in drinking water at approximately 10,000 water systems nationwide.

• Investing in projects to address PFAS contamination in water: Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is investing $10 billion for removal of PFAS and other emerging contaminants from water. Most of this funding is helping communities to install new infrastructure and treatment technologies to address PFAS in drinking water. EPA also announced its Fiscal Year 2024 funding allocations (pdf) for EPA’s Tribal infrastructure financing programs for PFAS and other emerging contaminants, including more than $35 million for drinking water and $4.5 million for clean water.

• Cleaning up PFAS contamination on lands: EPA is making sure that polluters pay for the cleanup of PFAS contamination. In 2024, EPA finalized a critical rule designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund, to compel those most responsible for PFAS contamination to pay for cleanup, rather than taxpayers.  

• Advancing chemical safety: EPA has taken action to harness the authorities of the Toxic Substances Control Act and other laws to protect people from PFAS and account for risks to vulnerable subpopulations. For example, EPA finalized a rule to prevent inactive PFAS from reentering commerce. This stops companies from starting or resuming the manufacture or processing of 329 PFAS that have not been made or used for many years without a complete EPA review and risk determination. For PFAS that were previously reviewed, EPA has issued rules to ensure any protective restrictions are more broadly applicable to all manufacturers and processors of those chemicals.

• Safeguarding our waterways: EPA put critical building blocks in place for understanding and addressing PFAS in our nation’s waters. EPA finalized the development of two critical methods for measuring PFAS in air, water, soil, and other environmental media. The agency finalized water quality criteria for PFOA and PFOS as well as benchmarks for other PFAS to protect aquatic life. EPA also released a recommended list of PFAS to monitor for state and Tribal fish and shellfish advisory programs.

• Pursuing enforcement and compliance: EPA established a clear PFAS Enforcement Discretion and Settlement Policy Under CERCLA to reinforce the agency’s focus on significant contributors to the PFAS contamination challenge – and not on entities like farms or water utilities. EPA also instituted a new National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Addressing Exposure to PFAS, to focus its resources and attention on enforcement actions that protect public health.

• Advancing our understanding of PFAS: EPA catalyzed numerous research and regulatory programs to collect and generate data on PFAS that will improve scientific understanding of this large and diverse class of chemicals. EPA also developed, implemented, and refined the agency’s National PFAS Testing Strategy, which is building information on categories of PFAS to inform future decisions. These efforts complement an ongoing and rigorous research agenda.   

• Reducing PFAS in products and purchasing: EPA has taken significant action to reduce PFAS uses in commerce through efforts to remove PFAS as a class of chemicals rather than only a few chemicals at a time. Additionally, EPA has ensured that PFAS are not intentionally added to Safer Choice-certified products and has removed PFAS from the list of inert ingredients approved for use in nonfood pesticide products. The agency also joined the General Services Administration (GSA) in taking action to cut PFAS from U.S. government custodial contracts.

The progress the Biden-Harris Administration has made to protect communities from PFAS pollution is unprecedented. EPA will continue to move with urgency to develop the science and research related to PFAS, partner with states, Tribes, and local leaders to implement funding and solutions, and set and update strong standards to ensure all Americans are safe from potential contamination.

Read the PFAS Strategic Roadmap - EPA's Commitments to Action 2021-2024.