- Any product in excess of the 50 ppm total fluorine threshold is presumed to contain “intentionally added” PFAS and subject to the rule unless this presumption is rebutted with “credible evidence.”
- Washington State’s adoption of a total fluorine threshold breaks from other states that previously adopted total organic fluorine thresholds,


On June 15, 2022, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued interim, updated drinking water health advisories (HA) for two of the most common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action recently released an updated standard for conducting Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). The newly revised standard, known as the ASTM E1527-21 standard, includes specific directions for how emerging contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may be addressed in ESAs. Parties conducting due diligence or involved in transactions for which an ESA will likely be used to assess more than just the “all appropriate inquiry” component of a CERCLA defense should be aware of what the new standard requires for PFAS, especially as regulatory standards evolve or are adopted on a state and federal level. Parties should be aware that the new standard does not create any requirements that Phase I ESAs address any PFAS until EPA acts to list the specific PFAS at issue as a CERCLA hazardous substance, so there is a risk that a Phase I ESA will not cover a significant potential area of environmental concern.