White House moves to designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous, enforcing stricter cleanup for contaminated sites.

The White House is moving towards a final rule that would require polluters to clean up land contaminated by two of the most notorious “forever chemicals, PFOA and PFOS,” which are linked to serious health risks including cancer. The rule would designate two PFAS as hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). This designation would mean stricter reporting requirements for PFOAs andPFOS, which also make heavily contaminated sites eligible for listing on the Superfund cleanup list. This rule would mark the first time EPA has added a substance as hazardous under CERCLA since its 1980 passage.