U.S. Creates MDL for Firefighter Turnout Gear Containing PFAS
On August 18, 2026, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation established Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) No. 3191, which centralizes five class actions related to PFAS-containing firefighter turnout gear in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. The plaintiffs allege they purchased turnout gear containing PFAS and that PFAS in turnout gear can harm firefighters and the environment. Plaintiffs assert claims including negligence, strict products liability, fraudulent misrepresentation, and violation of state consumer protection laws. The MDL is assigned to Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
On September 9, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced a study using non-targeted analysis to evaluate potential contaminants in drinking water, including PFAS. Non-targeted analysis broadly screens samples for chemicals without requiring a predefined list of target compounds. USEPA will collect drinking water samples from several locations and evaluate the results using a screening library containing more than 1,400 chemicals, including PFAS, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Additionally, USEPA will create a database of unknown compounds for further identification.
U.S. DoW Inspector General Issues Report on Interim Actions for PFAS
On August 4, 2026, the U.S. Department of War (DoW) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report evaluating interim actions taken to “promptly reduce risk and mitigate the spread of PFAS” at current and former DoW installations. OIG found that while interim actions reduced risk and mitigated PFAS migration at most of the installations evaluated, additional interim actions may be warranted. The report included the following recommendations to DoW:
On September 9, 2026, a settlement valued at $590 million was agreed to by the State of North Carolina, 11 local governments, DuPont, Chemours, Corteva, and related entities to resolve PFAS-related claims involving the Fayetteville Works facility. The settlement provides $455 million in payments, including $75 million to the State of North Carolina and $380 million to local governments involved in the settlement. The State payment will support environmental restoration and remediation efforts, including the Emerging Contaminant Mitigation Fund, which is accessible to local governments for the detection and treatment of emerging contaminants in drinking water. Additionally, $135 million will provide financial assurance for Chemours' remaining obligations under a 2019 Consent Order.
On June 9, 2026, Health Canada issued a memorandum that provides updated soil screening values (SSVs) and interim toxicological reference values (TRVs) for assessing PFAS at federal sites. The SSVs incorporate the updated interim TRVs and assess direct-contact exposure to PFAS in soil for agricultural, residential, parkland, commercial, and industrial land uses. A summary of the SSVs is provided below.
*Industrial SSVs may also be applied to commercial scenarios without toddler exposure
The memorandum is available upon request from Health Canada by emailing cs-sc@hc-sc.gc.ca.
On September 25, 2026, CL:AIRE published guidance for evaluating PFAS treatment technologies that is intended to support a more robust and consistent regulatory approach to PFAS remediation. The guidance includes a framework for evaluating PFAS treatment technologies, an overview fact sheet, four case studies, and a video that provides additional detail on the framework and its utility. The guidance was prepared by Geosyntec Consultants for the UK Environment Agency. CL:AIRE is hosting a webinar on the guidance on October 21, 2026, and registration for the webinar is available online.
Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how PFAS may impact your business, please email pfas@geosyntec.com to be connected with one of our PFAS technical experts.