PFAS—Growing Regulation And Liabilities For The Regulated Community

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that have received a lot of regulatory, scientific and legal attention in recent years, and all indications are that this is just the beginning. To be sure, the lack of federal guidance and the patchwork of state regulations addressing these chemicals is problematic for the regulated community. But other unique aspects of PFAS regulation further complicate the picture. Of particular concern are the current and proposed advisory and regulatory levels for two of these chemicals—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)—which are orders of magnitude below the concentration levels of most other chemicals.