Recent interim guidance from the U.S. EPA provides details for disposing
of or destroying certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances and materials containing them, but the agency and industry analysts say there are lingering questions to answer before moving forward with any possible regulations.
The document, the first such federal guidance on the destruction or disposal of PFAS or PFAS-containing materials, describes the available science used in three major techniques: deep well injection, landfilling and thermal treatment. Acknowledging uncertainty about potential environmental effects, the EPA proposed the interim storage of PFAS-containing waste until further research can “reduce the uncertainties associated with other options.”