U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin has announced a comprehensive package of agency actions to tackle PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination. The announcement includes designating an agency lead for PFAS, developing effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) to stop forever chemicals from entering drinking water systems, and working with Congress and industry to establish a clear liability framework based on a polluter-pays model that protects passive receivers.

A Three Pillar Approach to PFAS Regulation and Remediation

EPA’s PFAS actions are guided by three core principles: strengthening the science around PFAS detection and treatment; fulfilling statutory obligations and enhancing communication with states, tribes, and communities; and building partnerships to advance PFAS remediation and cleanup where drinking water supplies are impacted.

Key actions include advancing PFAS testing strategies under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), developing new effluent limitations guidelines for PFAS manufacturers, adding PFAS to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), and completing the public comment period for biosolids risk assessment — an area of direct relevance to the beneficial reuse of biosolids in agriculture.

What This Means for PFAS Contaminated Land and Water Management

The EPA’s announcement signals a significant step forward in the regulation and management of PFAS contamination in soil, groundwater, and drinking water across the United States. For environmental professionals, councils, utilities, and Defence stakeholders managing PFAS-impacted sites, this reinforces the growing international momentum toward robust PFAS contamination standards, and the critical importance of proven, cost-effective PFAS remediation technologies like RemBind®.

RemBind® Supporting PFAS Remediation in Soil, Groundwater, and Biosolids

RemBind® has been deployed at PFAS-contaminated sites across Australia, the United States, and internationally, including at US Air Force and Space Force installations, providing in-situ stabilisation of PFAS in contaminated soil and groundwater. As regulatory frameworks tighten globally, RemBind® offers a scientifically validated, practical pathway for managing PFAS contamination and supporting compliance with evolving national and international PFAS standards.