Interested in training for your team? Click here to learn more

New EPA Guidance on PFAS and Safe Drinking Water: Health Advisories, Regional Screening Levels, Remediation Levels

Recording of a 90-minute CLE video webinar with Q&A

This program is included with the Strafford CLE Pass. Click for more information.
This program is included with the Strafford All-Access Pass. Click for more information.

Conducted on Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Recorded event now available

or call 1-800-926-7926

This CLE webinar will advise environmental counsel on the new EPA rules related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and safe drinking water standards. The panel will discuss how the reclassification of these chemicals as hazardous substances will affect those standards, regional screening levels, and the need for future remediation to remove PFAS from water sources.

Description

On June 15, 2022, the EPA released significantly reduced lifetime drinking water health advisory levels (HALs) for four PFAS under its Safe Drinking Water Act authority. Lifetime HALs identify the concentration of chemicals in drinking water over an individual's lifetime at or below which adverse health effects are not anticipated.

While HALs are not enforceable standards and are non-regulatory, they are often used in developing drinking water regulations and limits, influence state and local regulations, and shape the public debate around the safety of particular chemicals.

The EPA's newly announced HALs will impact the development of future federal and state regulation, affect the identification and cleanup of contaminated sites, foreshadow potential litigation trends, and signal to industries that are dealing with PFAS of the EPA's possible approach to future regulation and guidance. The updated advisories for PFOA and PFOS are orders of magnitude lower than those identified by EPA in 2016. Its HALs for GenX and PFBS reflect EPA's intent to address potential PFAS exposure aggressively.

The newly announced HALs may galvanize the push for more stringent cleanup requirements across the country while also acting as a springboard for stricter enforcement at the state level. Because HALs (both interim and final) are not enforceable standards, they would not be considered Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) under CERCLA. Still, they may be referenced as "TBC" (to be considered), similar to a guidance document.

Listen as our expert panel discusses the effect of these new HALs and how this step of the PFAS Roadmap shapes what is likely to come in the future regarding regulating forever chemicals.

READ MORE

Outline

  1. PFAS
    1. History of regulation
    2. Biden PFAS roadmap
      1. New health advisory levels
        1. Regional screening levels
        2. Remediation levels
        3. CERCLA liability
    3. Future regulation

Benefits

The panel will discuss these and other key topics:

  • What are the current health advisory levels for PFAS?
  • How are HALs standards considered in CERCLA litigation?
  • What is the future of PFAS regulation?

Faculty

Feingold, Stephanie
Stephanie R. Feingold

Partner
Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Ms. Feingold represents clients in litigation and dispute resolution with a focus on environmental issues and provides...  |  Read More

Teel, Cynthia
Cynthia M. Teel

Partner
Lathrop GPM

Ms. Teel advises clients on environmental issues that arise in the litigation, transactional, and regulatory contexts....  |  Read More

Access Anytime, Anywhere

Strafford will process CLE credit for one person on each recording. All formats include course handouts.

To find out which recorded format will provide the best CLE option, select your state:

CLE On-Demand Video

Download