On February 27th, 2023 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Press Release announcing 11 virtual “listening sessions” on the Agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap. The listening sessions are scheduled for EPA’s ten Regions as well as a listening session for tribal communities. The first session was held February 28th, in EPA’s Region 7. Copied below is text from the EPA’s Press Release:
“In EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, we committed to transparent, equitable, and inclusive engagement with all stakeholders to inform the Agency’s work,” said Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator for Water and co-chair of EPA’s Council on PFAS. “By hearing directly from communities, we will better understand how PFAS contamination affects individuals’ lives and livelihoods and can better ensure that communities have equitable access to solutions – especially Tribal communities and communities with environmental justice concerns.”
Link to EPA’s Press Release:
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-upcoming-virtual-regional-listening-sessions-pfas-strategic-roadmap
Dates, times and EPA Regions and Tribal Communities for the remaining ten listening sessions:
• February 28, 6-8 PM CT: Region 7
• March 2, 6-8 PM ET: Region 3
• March 8, 6-8 PM MT: Region 8
• March 15, 6-8 PM PT: Region 10
• March 21, 6-8 PM ET: Region 4
• March 30, 6-8 PM ET: Region 2
• April 6, 2-4 PM ET: Tribal Communities
• April 11, 6-8 PM ET: Region 1
• April 13, 6-8 PM PT: Region 9
• April 19, 6-8 PM CT: Region 5
• April 25, 6-8 PM CT: Region 6
Link to EPA Website to register for a listening session
(at the present time there are links to register for six of the virtual listening sessions, access to registration for the remaining listening sessions should be available soon)
Final note: On March 3, 2021, EPA made a Regulatory Determination to propose MCLs for PFOA and PFOS. That triggered a statutory deadline of 24 months (i.e., by March 3, 2023) for EPA to propose the MCLs for public comment. On October 6, 2022 EPA submitted the proposed MCLs for PFOA and PFOS to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. As of this morning the proposed MCLs are still under review at OMB.
