The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a summary of actions taken in the first year of the current administration to address PFAS contamination and chemical risks across the United States.
The report highlights federal efforts to improve chemical testing, detection, cleanup and community support while emphasising the agency’s priority to manage these persistent substances known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
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PFAS are widely used in industrial and consumer applications but pose significant public health and environmental concerns.
Federal measures on pfas detection, cleanup and outreach
The EPA’s year-one report outlines a series of initiatives aimed at identifying and reducing the spread of PFAS in water, soil and air.
Actions include increased testing and monitoring of public water systems, support for local utilities and release of funding to improve PFAS treatment infrastructure. The report says nearly $945m has been allocated to help reduce exposure to PFAS in drinking water.
The agency has launched the PFAS OUTreach Initiative, intended to work with public water systems and state, local, tribal and territorial leaders on practical solutions to PFAS contamination.
These efforts form part of broader compliance and environmental protection actions using existing federal law.
Enforcement actions and regulatory planning
Alongside detection and treatment measures, the EPA report stresses enforcement as a key pillar of its PFAS risk management work.
The agency aims to hold polluters accountable where contamination is discovered, and to apply federal statutes to compel cleanup. These enforcement actions can include orders to address unauthorized releases of PFAS-containing materials.
In parallel, the EPA is planning regulatory changes to address data reporting and risk assessment requirements for PFAS under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
Draft amendments expected later in 2026 would revise reporting and recordkeeping rules, with a view to enhancing industry transparency and compliance.
Broader regulatory context and health concerns
PFAS are sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals” because they break down slowly and can accumulate in the environment and human tissues.
These substances have been linked to potential health issues ranging from immune system effects to cancer and reproductive harm, prompting regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and abroad.
At the same time, regulatory activity has expanded in other jurisdictions. The European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), for example, will ban intentionally added PFAS in food contact packaging by August 2026, creating stringent compliance requirements for manufacturers and suppliers.
Within the U.S., state governments are also taking action. Multiple states have enacted or proposed legislation to restrict PFAS in food packaging and other consumer products, while federal agencies continue to assess and regulate PFAS exposure in water and industrial contexts.
The EPA’s year-one actions reflect a multipronged approach to PFAS risk management that combines testing, intervention, enforcement and regulatory planning.
Stakeholders in the food packaging and materials sectors are watching these developments closely as regulatory expectations evolve globally.
