EPA Releases Annual Report Showing Steady Progress to Protect Communities from PFAS Pollution

Report highlights key EPA accomplishments to safeguard public health and the environment from dangerous ‘forever chemicals’

December 14, 2023

Contact Information

U.S. EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its second annual report on PFAS progress, which highlights significant accomplishments achieved under its PFAS Strategic Roadmap and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s all of government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals.  The report outlines key accomplishments under the Roadmap over the past year across three fronts– to restrict, remediate, and research PFAS – all centered on achieving fundamental health protections for the American people.

“This PFAS Roadmap progress report illustrates EPA’s ongoing commitment to protect people from the harmful effects of forever chemicals,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “By combining science-based solutions, historic funding, and impactful regulations, EPA is following through on the vision set out in our Roadmap – to protect people, achieve environmental justice, and improve the lives of hardworking families across America.”

“One thing is clear: Americans don’t have to choose between clean air, land, and water or a prosperous, vibrant, and secure nation,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox and co-chair of EPA’s Council on PFAS. “As our whole of agency progress clearly illustrates, we are protecting people’s health while catalyzing research and innovation, fueling new markets and jobs, and prioritizing equitable infrastructure and treatment solutions for all people in this country.”

Key 2023 accomplishments include efforts to:

Make PFAS use safer: EPA finalized rules for new PFAS reporting, issued a framework for reviewing PFAS to ensure they are used as safely as possible, and proposed to eliminate exemptions for new PFAS and to restrict certain legacy PFAS.

Hold polluters accountable: EPA has proposed to list PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, the nation’s Superfund law, and anticipates issuing a final rule in early 2024. This action would give the agency the power to improve transparency around PFAS releases, help ensure that polluters pay for treatment and cleanup, and help communities that are facing significant pollution quickly receive effective protections. In the last year, EPA also took important steps to stop PFAS polluters, including adding PFAS as an EPA enforcement and compliance priority from 2024-2027.

Protect America’s drinking water and identify the scale of exposure: EPA proposed the first national drinking water standard for six PFAS in March 2023. Once final, this rule will save thousands of lives and prevent tens of thousands of avoidable illnesses. EPA expects to finalize the rule in early 2024. Also, to better understand where PFAS exist and how people are being exposed to them, EPA initiated nationwide monitoring for 29 PFAS at more than 10,000 public water systems under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. Results are posted publicly each quarter through EPA’s website.

Deploy infrastructure funding to invest in infrastructure projects to address PFAS in water: Many communities need to install new infrastructure and treatment technologies to address PFAS in drinking water and wastewater. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), EPA is providing $10 billion dedicated to removing PFAS and other emerging contaminants – more than half of which is going to disadvantaged and underserved communities. In 2023, EPA distributed nearly $1 billion through the BIL State Revolving Fund Emerging Contaminants programs and announced the first $2 billion in grant funding to states, Tribes, and territories through the new Small or Disadvantaged Communities Emerging Contaminants grant program. These programs also advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Turn off the tap at industrial polluters: EPA has taken several steps to use permitting and regulatory authority of the Clean Water Act to reduce PFAS pollution in our nation’s waters– including specific regulations to limit PFAS discharges from PFAS manufacturers, metal finishers, and landfills.

Incorporate equity and environmental justice across the EPA’s actions: The EPA has worked to ensure that all communities have equitable access to solutions, to advance the goals of President Biden’s Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, and to integrate recommendations from the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

Advance the science: The EPA has continued to build the scientific foundation on PFAS through research and development. The agency is investing in research to fill gaps in our understanding of PFAS, to identify which additional PFAS may pose human health and ecological risks at which exposure levels, and to develop methods to test, measure, remove, and destroy them.

Listen to communities and incorporate environmental justice: EPA held listening sessions with community members impacted by PFAS in each of its 10 Regions, as well as a session specifically designed for Tribal partners. Feedback shared during these sessions, in coordination with recommendations from EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and Local Government Advisory Committee, is informing Agency-wide response efforts and helping to ensure that communities with environmental justice concerns have equitable access to information and solutions.

A Whole-of-Government Effort

As EPA advances critical work using its authorities and resources, it is doing so as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to protect public health and the environment from PFAS. This coordinated effort, spearheaded by the White House, involves key collaborations. The Council on Environmental Quality leads a high-level interagency policy group focused on PFAS policy actions and the Office of Science and Technology Policy leads an interagency expert working group of federal technical and scientific leaders. Through these efforts, EPA and its partners are increasing interagency coordination and advancing work on research, analytical methods, contaminated site cleanup, and other areas.

Looking ahead to 2024, the EPA anticipates continuing its 2023 progress with several critical actions, including finalizing national drinking water standards for several PFAS; taking final action to list certain PFAS as hazardous substances under CERCLA; proposing Effluent Limitation Guidelines for PFAS manufacturers; issuing guidance on destroying and disposing of PFAS; finalizing new methods to monitor for PFAS in a wide range of media; and proposing rules designating certain PFAS as hazardous constituents under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The agency also expects to continue engaging closely with its state partners, who are actively working to address PFAS issues in their communities.

Together, these and other commitments will complement and reinforce each other; hold polluters accountable; and empower communities, water systems, and state partners to protect the American people more effectively from the risks posed by PFAS exposure.

Read the full report.

Herkimer County, New York – The New York State Department of State has awarded the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency (HCIDA) with $270,000 in Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grant funding. Herkimer County is estimated to contain 150 brownfields including 52 documented contaminated sites, impacting over 450 acres in the county’s urban centers. This funding allows the HCIDA to complete a county-wide pre-planning inventory and analysis of brownfield-affected areas within Herkimer County.

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The Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast was pleased to partner with The City College of New York on this initiative.

Latest funding for EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Grants is supported by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and will boost workforce training in underserved and overburdened communities

December 8, 2023

Contact Information

Carlos Vega (vega.carlos@epa.gov)

(646) 988-2996

NEW YORK (December 8, 2023) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of Research Foundation of the City College of New York to receive a total of $500,000 for environmental job training programs as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The grants through EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program will help recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects at brownfield sites across New York.

This initiative is set to provide specialized environmental job training for 84 students, with a goal to place at least 64 graduates in relevant roles.

The comprehensive training program will encompass 136 hours of instruction, covering key areas such as 40-Hour HAZWOPER, 30-Hour OSHA for Construction, 10-Hour Site Safety Training, ASTM Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, and Green Infrastructure I and II. Successful completion of the program will result in students earning up to two federal certifications.

The Research Foundation of the City College of New York is specifically targeting students within the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. This includes underemployed, unemployed, and potentially previously incarcerated residents, providing them with an opportunity to gain valuable skills and improve their employment prospects.

This initiative is supported by key partners including the New York City Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation, Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast, New York City Brownfield Partnership, New York State Department of Labor, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, New York City Administration for Children’s Services, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, Living Redemption Community Development Corporation, Silicon Harlem, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Athenica Environmental Services, and Roux Associates Inc.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is having a powerful, real-world impact on the ground, creating good-paying jobs and revitalizing communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has supercharged our Brownfields program, enabling EPA to invest in the next generation of environmental workers to take on the much-needed work of cleaning up legacy pollution in communities across America.”

“EPA is thrilled to award this grant to CCNY and its partners to help train and prepare the next wave of local workers for opportunities in the Brownfields sector,” said EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Through the cleanup and revitalization of brownfield sites, communities can put underutilized properties back to good use. Reclaiming these sites benefits the community and its residents, our economy, and our environment.”

“This is a win-win: investing in getting youth the hands-on skills they need to get good-paying jobs and helping clean up our communities from Utica to NYC,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “I am proud to help deliver this federal funding, which will help train hundreds of students in New York for environmental jobs, and I will never stop fighting to address environmental justice issues faced by New York’s underserved communities.” 

“Environmental research is critical to our future and the sustainability of our communities. I was proud to help secure this funding in Congress and commend the EPA for awarding the Research Foundation of the City College of New York with this significant investment,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “Investing today will provide vital training and job opportunities for 84 students in Harlem, empowering them to pursue careers in the environmental field, while helping to bolster their future as well as our planet."

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “President Biden, EPA Administrator Regan, and EPA Region 2 Administrator Garcia recognize the importance of growing New York’s environmental workforce to protect public health and help revitalize communities. DEC applauds the Biden-Harris Administration for awarding the Research Foundation of the City College of New York and the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison, and Oneida Counties to help create brighter futures for New Yorkers, particularly those from underserved communities, and we look forward to continuing to work with local, state, and federal partners to advance workforce development opportunities across the state.” 

These grants will provide funding to organizations that are working to create a skilled workforce in communities where assessment, cleanup, and preparation of brownfield sites for reuse activities are taking place. Individuals completing a job training program funded by EPA often overcome a variety of barriers to employment and many are from historically underserved neighborhoods or reside in the areas that are affected by environmental justice issues.

High-quality job training and workforce development are an important part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advance economic opportunities and address environmental justice issues in underserved communities.  All of the FY24 Brownfields Job Training Program applications selected have proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities as defined by the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool, delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which aims to deliver at least 40% of the benefits of certain government investments to underserved and overburdened communities. 

Under the Brownfields Job Training Program, individuals typically graduate with a variety of certifications that improve their marketability and help ensure that employment opportunities are not just temporary contractual work, but long-term and high-quality environmental careers. This includes certifications in: 

Lead and asbestos abatement, 

Hazardous waste operations and emergency response, 

Mold remediation, 

Environmental sampling and analysis, and  

Other environmental health and safety training 

For more information on the selected Brownfields Job Training Grant recipients, including past Grant recipients, please visit EPA's Grant Factsheet Tool.

Background

President Biden’s leadership and bipartisan congressional action have delivered the single-largest investment ever made in U.S. Brownfields infrastructure. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests more than $1.5 billion through EPA’s highly successful Brownfields Program, which is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by the legacy pollution at brownfield sites. Today’s funding for Brownfields Jobs Training grants comes from this historic investment, which is allowing more communities, states, and Tribes to access larger grants to build and enhance the environmental curriculum in job training programs to support job creation and community revitalization at brownfield sites. Ultimately, this investment will help trained individuals access jobs created through Brownfields revitalization activities within their communities.

Since 1998, EPA has announced 414 grants totaling over $100.5 million through Brownfield Job Training Programs. With these grants, more than 21,500 individuals have completed training and over 16,370 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety. The average starting wage for these individuals is over $15 an hour.  

For more information on this, and other types of Brownfields Grants, please visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.

Several Pennsylvania Republicans slammed an updated environmental justice policy recently put into effect by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that they say will increase costs and slash new investments and jobs.

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Finger Lakes Times (NY)

The G.W. Lisk Co. manufacturing site in Clifton Springs has been identified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as having dangerously high levels of trichloroethene (TCE), a toxic chemical used in industrial processes.

The DEC's Region 8 office in Avon, after reviewing a Remedial Investigation Report prepared by the company, has determined that the site poses a significant threat to public health and the environment due to the elevated levels of TCE in the groundwater, according to the Finger Lakes Times.

The report highlighted that the levels of TCE found in the site's overburden groundwater are 340 times higher than the state's permissible limits, measuring at 1,700 micrograms per liter.

For the entire article, see
https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2023/11/29/high-levels-of-toxic-chemical-found-at-g-w-lisk-site-in-clifton-springs/<https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2023/11/29/high-levels-of-toxic-chemical-found-at-g-w-lisk-site-in-clifton-springs/>

Mid-Hudson News (NY)

A proposed environmental plan for the more than 15-acre brownfield site called ?5 Scobie Drive? in the City of Newburgh has been proposed.

The vacant land abounded by the Newburgh City DPW property, a tributary of Gidneytown Creek and a commercial facility, operated as an unpermitted landfill from the late 1940s until around 1976 and has not been closed in accordance with the State Department of Environmental Conservation solid waste regulations.

According to the DEC, it reportedly accepted municipal and possibly industrial and incinerator waste.

For the entire article, see

https://midhudsonnews.com/2023/11/27/remedy-proposed-for-newburgh-brownfield-site-contamination/

 

Program Policies issued by the Division of Environmental Remediation (DER) include Technical and Administrative Guidance Memorandums (TAGMs), Spill Technology and Remediation Series (STARS), Spill Prevention Operations Technology Series (SPOTS) and the Spill Guidance Manual (SGM). These guidance series are being updated and replaced by the DER series (DER-#).

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New funding will ensure communities have access to clean waterways and safe drinking water

November 29, 2023

Contact Information

(r3press@epa.gov)

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will award West Virginia $109.88 million to support improvements to water systems and access to safe drinking water across the state. Most of the funding—$93.15 million—comes from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which is the largest federal investment in water infrastructure in our nation’s history. This BIL funding will supplement $16.73 million in FY 23 funding assigned to West Virginia’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs). 

“These awards show that EPA is not just a regulator – but is a funder and partner,” said EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ensures communities most in need and those grappling with emerging contaminants such as PFAS have access to funding that will deliver cleaner and safer water for generations to come.”

EPA awards grants to states annually to capitalize the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) which provide low or no interest loans for water infrastructure projects. West Virginia will use this money to help communities across the state fund necessary water projects that some borrowers may not have been able to afford otherwise. Proposed projects for this funding are listed in the states intended use plans.

“Thanks to the dedicated leadership of Governor Jim Justice and the support from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, West Virginia, in cooperation with our federal partners, is set to make significant strides in enhancing our wastewater systems and ensuring safe drinking water for all our residents," said West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Harold Ward. "Governor Justice's proactive approach and collaboration with federal initiatives have been pivotal in securing these funds. The increased funding will not only address immediate needs, but lays the foundation for a healthier, more sustainable future for communities of need throughout our state."

The BIL delivers more than $50 billion to EPA to improve our nation’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure - the single largest investment in water that the federal government has ever made. Learn more  about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

For more information on intended projects for this Drinking Water SRF funding in West Virginia, please visit:  https://oehs.wvdhhr.org/eed/infrastructure-capacity-development/intended-use-plans/. For information on intended projects for this Clean Water SRF funding, please visit: https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/programs/SRF/Pages/default.aspx.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced over $23 million has been awarded to support 101 communities across the state through part of Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. The award will help promote smart, sustainable and equitable community planning, development and construction of projects that focus on accessible economic, community, environmental and recreational improvements in all New York’s regions.

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EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights announces the largest single investment in environmental justice in history, funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act

November 21, 2023

Contact Information

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON — Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all. These funds, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, are made possible by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act—the biggest-ever investment in clean energy and climate action.

“Throughout my Journey to Justice tour, I’ve heard from residents and advocates calling for resources to support local solutions in communities that have long been overlooked and forgotten,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today, thanks to President Biden’s commitment to investing in communities that have long struggled to access federal funding, we are delivering on these calls to action. This historic, unprecedented funding has the promise to turn disadvantaged and overburdened areas into healthy, resilient, and thriving communities for current and future generations.”

“For far too long, communities that have borne the brunt of power plant and industrial pollution have been left out and left behind,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “The Inflation Reduction Act and President Biden’s Justice40 initiative change that by bringing new investment, clean energy, and good-paying jobs to disadvantaged communities.”

“President Biden is leading a whole-of-government effort to confront longstanding environmental injustices and inequities,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “Thanks to this historic funding covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative, we are investing in locally-driven solutions to make a positive difference for communities that have suffered from pollution, underinvestment, and decades of disproportionate environmental impacts. Investments like these show how we are delivering on the President’s ambitious environmental justice agenda and his commitment to build more equitable and resilient communities for generations to come.”

The Community Change Grants deliver on President Biden's historic commitment to advance equity and justice, including his Justice40 Initiative. The Community Change Grants will deliver 100 percent of the benefits of this program to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. This program also dedicates $200 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding to provide technical assistance to applicants and grant recipients, which will enhance the ability of disadvantaged communities to access resources for environmental and climate justice activities.

The activities to be performed under the grants are expected to fall under the following categories:

Climate resiliency and adaptation.

Mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions, and wildfire events.

Community-led air and other (including water and waste) pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation.

Investments in low- and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure.

Workforce development that supports the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants.

Reducing indoor toxics and indoor air pollution.

Facilitating the engagement of disadvantaged communities in state and federal advisory groups, workshops, rulemakings, and other public processes.

The Community Change Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), administered through the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR), has several unique characteristics to advance environmental and climate justice, many of which are responsive to feedback and input the agency has heard from communities. These include: 

Rolling Applications: The NOFO will be open for a year, closing on November 21, 2024, and EPA will review applications on a rolling basis. This allows applicants to utilize technical assistance and possibly resubmit a new application if not initially selected. EPA encourages applicants to apply as early as possible.

Two-track Submission Processes: Applications can be submitted under two separate tracks depending on the project scope and funding requested.

Track I, Community-Driven Investments for Change, is expected to award approximately $1.96 billion for 150 projects for $10-20 million each.

Track II, Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance, is expected to award approximately $40 million for 20 projects for $1-3 million each.

Oral Presentations: Track I applicants may also be invited to participate in an oral presentation. These oral presentations will enable EPA reviewers to hear directly from the applicants and their partners to learn more about community priorities, desired outcomes, and plans for long-term sustainability. This new format is responsive to community requests to engage with EPA in more accessible ways.

Target Investment Areas: Out of the $2 billion in funding, EPA has identified five Target Investment Areas (TIA) to help ensure that communities with unique circumstances, geography, and needs can equitably compete for funding. These are:

Tribes in Alaska: $150 million for projects benefitting Indian Tribes in Alaska including funds for cleanup of contaminated lands.

Tribes: $300 million for projects benefitting Tribal communities in the other states. 

Territories: $50 million for projects benefitting disadvantaged communities in the United States’ territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities: $50 million for projects benefitting small and rural areas that lack fixed, legally determined geographic boundaries, such as Colonias.

U.S.-Southern Border Communities: Consistent with EPA’s longstanding commitment to addressing transborder pollution challenges, $100 million for projects benefitting non-Tribal disadvantaged communities within 100 kilometers north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Technical Assistance: The $200 million for technical assistance is available in direct response to feedback from communities and environmental justice leaders who have long called for capacity building support for communities and their partners as they work to access critical federal resources. With this funding, there are two TA programs dedicated for the Community Change Grants. Applicants can learn more about, and express interest in, the technical assistance on EPA’s Community Change Grants Technical Assistance webpage.

Read the Community Change Grants NOFO.

OEJECR will also host multiple informational webinars while the NOFO is open, with the first being held on December 7, 2023. These webinars will address questions, and some may facilitate the formation of partnerships and information sharing. More information on upcoming webinars can be found on EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act Community Change Grants Program webpage.

Learn more about environmental justice at EPA

Learn more about Inflation Reduction funding at EPA

For up-to-date information about the NOFO, including information on the webinars, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.

Background

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created the Environmental and Climate Justice Program, the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history when it was signed into law by President Biden on August 16, 2022. Under this program, EPA was provided $3 billion to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities. 

Earlier in 2023, EPA issued a Request for Information, held a dedicated consultation with EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, and hosted multiple webinars to gain public input on innovative strategies and approaches for competition design, community engagement, equitable distribution of financial resources, grantee eligibility for funding, capacity-building and outreach, and more. This feedback was crucial in designing key elements of the Community Change Grants and this NOFO, including the Target Investment Areas, incorporating oral presentations, the rolling application period, and more. EPA thanks everyone for their incredibly valuable time and input, which ensured the creation of a more inclusive and accessible grant program.