EPA Officials Update Industry on Potential PFAS Regs

TRSA recently hosted a webinar featuring a pair of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials to update the industry on the potential for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) regulations. More than 100 linen, uniform and facility services executives attended the presentation.

TRSA’s Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Schwalb served as the moderator for the hour-long webinar. He was joined by Brian D’Amico and Matt Klasen, who presented on behalf of the EPA.

Klasen kicked off the webinar with an overview of the EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, including an explanation of what PFAS is and why there are health concerns about PFAS chemicals. Klasen noted that PFAS chemicals “resist decomposition in the environment and in the human body.” He said that the EPA’s approach to PFAS centers around the following principles:

• Consider the life cycle of PFAS.
• Get upstream of the problem; take a proactive approach to address potential sources of problems and address them before they arise.
• Hold polluters accountable.
• Ensure science-based decisionmaking.
• Prioritize the protection of disadvantaged communities.

D’Amico then discussed Effluent Limitations Guidelines, or ELGs, from an EPA plan published in January 2023. Key studies to note include an ongoing study on PFAS in textile manufacturing, as well as a POTW influent study. D’Amico said that data from the textile manufacturing study could be available within a year and a half, while the POTW influent study would take roughly two to two and a half years to get a complete set of data. At the moment, the EPA is currently working with the White House to get the necessary approval to distribute the surveys for these studies.

Following the presentation, webinar attendees got the opportunity to ask the presenters questions about PFAS and the EPA’s approach to the issue, and how it could potentially have an impact on the linen, uniform and facility services industry.

The full recording is available in TRSA’s On-Demand Learning Center. Click here to view the full recording of the June 5 presentation.