The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Oct. 25 that it will not be extending the public comment period for its proposed designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) beyond the 60 days initially offered for comment.  

This decision comes even though multiple stakeholders, including NACWA in a joint letter with the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), asked the Agency for more time based on the complexity of the proposal.  However, EPA on its website states that it has given the public “an adequate amount of time based on the issues presented in the proposed rule.”  

Comments are due November 7, 2022, to Regulations.gov. NACWA will be submitting comments and encourages members to finalize and submit comments to the docket (EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0341) before the deadline. 

If members have questions, please contact Emily Remmel, NACWA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs.