WASHINGTON (May 22, 2018) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) was pleased to participate today in EPA’s National Leadership Summit to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). ACC Senior Director of Global Fluoro-Chemistry Jessica Bowman presented to attendees the historical and current uses of PFAS and expressed industry support for a process based on the best available science to determine, as appropriate, maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and cleanup levels for PFOS, PFOA and other legacy PFAS.
“ACC and its members support a process based on the best available science to determine, as appropriate, MCLs and cleanup levels for PFOS, PFOA and other legacy PFAS substances. We also support finalizing a significant new use rule to prohibit the import of products containing legacy PFAS substances,” Bowman said. “It is critical that regulators utilize sound science when establishing standards for both legacy substances and the new PFAS replacements.”
Bowman highlighted the work done by major PFAS manufacturers in the U.S., Europe and Japan, starting in 2002, to phase out PFOS and PFOA working with EPA and other regulators as part of EPA’s 2010/2015 PFOA Stewardship Program. As a result of these voluntary actions, levels of PFOS and PFOA in the U.S. population have declined dramatically according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With the phase out of legacy PFAS substances, many manufacturers and downstream users have transitioned to the manufacturing and use of short-chain based products with improved environmental and toxicological profiles. These new products retain the properties critical to the performance of many important products that industry and consumers rely on every day, including cell phones, aircraft, cars and fire-fighting foams.
Bowman continued by saying, “PFAS chemicals make up a family of chemistry encompassing a broad range of chemicals and products with widely varying physical and chemical properties, health and environmental profiles, uses and benefits. Federal and state regulators must recognize these distinctions and the science that is available relative to the broad range of PFAS chemicals as they consider further actions.”