The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the automatic addition of seven per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).

These seven PFAS have been added to the TRI list in compliance with the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This act mandates the automatic addition of PFAS to TRI each year based on specified EPA activities related to such PFAS. Reporting for these seven additional PFAS is required for TRI Reporting Year 2024 (reporting forms due by July 1, 2025), bringing the total number of PFAS subject to TRI reporting to 196.

The 2020 NDAA includes a provision automatically adding PFAS to the TRI list upon the Agency’s finalization of a toxicity value. Six PFAS were automatically added for Reporting Year 2024 as the EPA finalized toxicity values during 2023. Only specific salt forms of the acids are added to the list.

  • Ammonium perfluorohexanoate; Chemical Abstract Service Registration Number (CASRN) 21615-47-4
  • Lithium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] azanide; CASRN 90076-65-6
  • Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA); CASRN 307-24-4
  • Perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA); CASRN 422-64-0
  • Sodium perfluorohexanoate; CASRN 2923-26-4
  • 1,1,1-Trifluoro-N-[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] methanesulfonamide; CASRN 82113-65-3

According to NDAA section 7321(e), the EPA is mandated to review claims of confidential business information (CBI) before incorporating a PFAS into the TRI if the chemical identity is shielded from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(a). 

Initially, the EPA identified a PFAS for addition to the TRI list under the NDAA’s provision at the time of its enactment. However, due to CBI claims surrounding its identity, this specific PFAS was not included in the TRI list back then.

The confidentiality status of this chemical’s identity underwent reevaluation, and in an update to the Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory in February 2023, its identity was declassified. As a result of this declassification, the following chemical has now been added to the TRI list:

  • Betaines, dimethyl(.gamma.-.omega.-perfluoro-.gamma.-hydro-C8-18-alkyl); CASRN 2816091-53-7

In line with current developments, facilities within designated industry sectors and federal facilities that employ these chemicals above specified quantities are now required to report the quantities of each chemical released into the environment or managed as waste. 

This reporting obligation aligns with the TRI framework, where data is annually submitted to the U.S. EPA by relevant facilities. This information, crucial for understanding the environmental impact of these chemicals, is vital for supporting informed decision-making by companies, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the public.

Read this news release from the EPA for more information!