With the annual July 1 deadline for filing Toxic Release Inventory (“TRI”) reports right around the corner, on June 22nd, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) finalized the addition of nine more per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) to the list of chemical subject to the reporting program (starting with reports due next year - July 1, 2024 - for the 2023 reporting year).

The rule, originally proposed in January 2023, is part of a larger effort by the Biden Administration to effectuate their PFAS Strategic Roadmap and regulate the chemicals. EPA last updated the list of PFAS subject to the TRI reporting program in July 2022.

The additional nine PFAS were added pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”), which sets forth several mechanisms by which additional PFAS can be added to the list of reportable chemicals. Pursuant to the NDAA, EPA must review confidential business information (“CBI”) claims before adding PFAS to the TRI list if the chemical is subject to a claim of protection from disclosure. After review, EPA determined that the following four PFAS are no longer confidential and thus added them to the TRI:

Alcohols, C8-16, γ-ω-perfluoro, reaction products with 1,6-diisocyanatohexane, glycidol and stearyl alc. (2728655-42-1);
Acetamide, N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-, 2-[(γ-ω-perfluoro-C4-20-alkyl)thio] derivs. (2738952-61-7);
Acetic acid, 2-[(γ-ω-perfluoro-C4-20-alkyl)thio] derivs., 2-hydroxypropyl esters (2744262-09-5); and
Acetamide, N-(2-aminoethyl)-, 2-[(γ-ω-perfluoro-C4-20-alkyl)thio] derivs., polymers with N1,N1-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine, epichlorohydrin and ethylenediamine, oxidized (2742694-36-4).

Additionally, the NDAA automatically adds PFAS to the TRI upon the Agency’s finalization of a toxicity value. EPA finalized toxicity values for the following chemicals in December 2022, thus adding them to the TRI:

PFBA (375-22-4);
Perfluorobutanoate (45048-62-2);
Ammonium perfluorobutanoate (10495-86-0);
Potassium perfluorobutanoate (2966-54-3); and
Sodium perfluorobutanoate (2218-54-4)

Now, a total of 189 PFAS chemicals are subject to TRI reporting requirements. The addition of these nine PFAS is effective on January 1, 2023. Accordingly, facilities that manufacture, process or otherwise use any of these chemicals from that date forward must report releases and other waste management activities involving the substances for the 2023 reporting year (reports are due July 1, 2024). Hence, facilities should be tracking the use of these chemicals now. Required PFAS reporting for TRI Reporting Year 2022 is due on July 1, 2023.

With TRI Reports due July 1, EPA Expands List of Reportable PFAS