PFAS: Real Estate Owners Beware

I. Introduction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently taken several important steps to address hazards posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known generically as “PFAS” but popularly referred to as “forever” chemicals given their mobility and persistence in the environment. Thousands of distinct compounds qualify as PFAS, and decades of widespread use in a variety of products and contexts mean that some of them may also soon be known as “everywhere” chemicals. 

In light of the EPA's assessment that PFAS are linked to multiple types of cancer, metabolic disorders, anda other serious health conditions, the EPA has now:

• Set very low drinking water standards for six PFAS and PFAS mixtures;