OMB Begins Review of Proposed Changes to SDWA PFAS Rules
On February 24, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) transmitted two proposed rules to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The proposed rules would revise aspects of the federal PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The first proposed rule would extend the compliance deadline for the maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS from 2029 to 2031, providing public water systems additional time to plan and implement treatment. The second proposed rule would withdraw the regulatory determinations under the SDWA for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, or GenX), and the hazard index for mixtures of the three PFAS and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).
U.S. Court of Appeals Denies Motion to Sever and Stay Index PFAS in NPDWR Challenge
On March 19, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied USEPA’s motion (USCA Case #24-1188; Document #2160037) to sever and hold in abeyance the portion of the PFAS NPDWR challenge addressing the “Index PFAS” maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). USEPA had asked the court to pause litigation over PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (or GenX), and the hazard index for mixtures of these three plus PFBS, while the agency pursues a rulemaking to rescind those limits.
DoW Issues Updated Guidance on PFAS Waste Management, Authorizes Incineration
On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of War (DoW) issued updated interim guidance on the destruction and disposal of PFAS-containing materials generated at DoW sites. The 2026 interim guidance supersedes and rescinds the 2023 interim guidance and the 2023 moratorium on the incineration of PFAS-containing materials, reauthorizing incineration. The updated memo applies to PFAS-containing waste and materials from AFFF removal, environmental cleanup activities, and emergency response actions, and identifies acceptable off-site commercial technologies for destruction and disposal. DoW indicates that options were evaluated based on criteria including technology availability, permitting status, ability to address different PFAS waste streams, and protectiveness of human health and the environment. Cost was not used as a screening factor in identifying acceptable technologies, but the interim guidance advises that components consider cost-effectiveness when selecting technologies.
USEPA Adds PFHxS Salt to the Toxic Release Inventory
On February 23, 2026, USEPA finalized a rule adding sodium perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS-Na; CASRN 82382-12-5) to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Facilities that manufacture, process, or use PFHxS-Na must conduct TRI reporting for activities starting on January 1, 2026, with the first TRI reports including PFHxS-Na due to USEPA by July 1, 2027. PFHxS-Na is commonly used in firefighting foams, textile and leather treatments, electronics, metal plating, and a variety of consumer products. As with the other TRI-listed PFAS, PFHxS-Na is classified as a ‘chemical of special concern’ due to its persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity, and is subject to the lower 100-pound reporting threshold. With this addition, 206 PFAS are now included in the TRI.
North Carolina Proposes Amendments to Monitoring and Minimization Rules for PFAS in Wastewater Discharges
On March 5, 2026, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) proposed amendments to monitoring and minimization rules for PFAS in wastewater discharges (15A NCAC 02B.0512 and 15A NCAC 02H.0923). The proposed amendments would apply to (1) industrial direct dischargers with individual National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination Program permits and publicly owned treatment works with approved local pretreatment programs, and (2) significant industrial users regulated under pretreatment programs. Facilities would be required to conduct quarterly baseline monitoring for one year unless qualifying historical data are available. If baseline effluent results for PFOS, PFOA, or HFPO‑DA (or GenX), exceed reporting limits, semiannual effluent monitoring would be required until the PFAS are not detected for four consecutive monitoring events.
Public comments on the proposed amendments can be submitted via email on or before June 15, 2026. Additionally, DEQ is holding public hearings on the proposed amendments from April 7 through April 23, 2026.
California Determines Synthetic Turf Rubber Poses ‘Insignificant’ Risk from PFAS
On March 5, 2026, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released a report summarizing a multi‑year study on potential human health risks associated with recreational synthetic turf fields, focusing on chemicals present in crumb rubber produced from waste tires. The study sampled 35 fields across California and used non‑targeted analytical methods to characterize chemicals in crumb rubber samples. OEHHA reported that PFAS were not detected in the crumb rubber samples and noted that PFAS identified in synthetic turf materials in other studies are likely associated with other components (e.g., turf blades or backing), rather than the crumb rubber infill. The report concluded that, under the exposure scenarios evaluated, there were no significant human health risks from on‑field or off‑field exposure to chemicals in the crumb rubber, including potential childhood developmental and reproductive effects.
The report also proposed a hazard index (HI) approach to evaluate combined exposure effects. The HI is calculated by summing the hazard quotients for each of the four PFAS. An HI greater than 1 would exceed the biota threshold.
Australia and New Zealand Finalize PFOS Freshwater Toxicant Default Guideline Values
On March 6, 2026, the Australian and New Zealand governments published final toxicant default guideline values (DGVs) for PFOS in freshwater aquatic ecosystems. The final PFOS DGVs are included in the table below. A DGV is screening value, below which there is a low risk of unacceptable effects on a defined community value and used to support screening, assessment, or management decisions.
The values were derived using chronic species sensitivity distribution data for 37 species across 11 taxonomic groups. Because the DGVs do not explicitly account for PFOS bioaccumulation and food-web transfer, the guidance recommends applying the 99% DGV even for slightly to moderately disturbed ecosystems. The guidance also includes a freshwater biota screening threshold of 0.0005 µg/L. If exceeded, it recommends monitoring PFOS in aquatic biota tissue and evaluating results against the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan biota guideline values to evaluate potential risks to higher-order consumers. Monitoring data must be reported as PFOS anion concentrations for comparison with the DGVs, and assessments should consider “the presence and implications of PFOS precursors” and PFAS mixtures.
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