PFAS State of the Union: 2025 Year in Review and 2026 Outlook
Why attend this webinar? 2025 ushered in great uncertainties about PFAS policy and regulation. From presidential administration changes to legal challenges of drinking water standards and CERCLA designations, to evolving effluent guidelines, and expanded reporting obligations, stakeholders need clarity on what transpired and what's ahead. This presentation cuts through political uncertainty to focus on actionable regulatory intelligence.
What you'll learn:
The 2025 Regulatory Turning Point
The second Trump administration's approach to PFAS diverged from the Biden-era PFAS Strategic Roadmap but not as severely as some had expected. Learn which regulations survived political transition, which face rollback challenges, what the EPA’s Unified Agenda signals for future enforcement priorities, and what the new Congress has been up to.
Drinking Water Standards: Implementation Reality
EPA's final PFAS MCL rule became effective in June 2024, triggering compliance timelines for public water systems but was soon challenged in the courts and is under reconsideration by the current administration. A review of UCMR5 data, what UCMR6 has in store, and the status of regulatory actions to address PFAS in potable water will bring the big picture into focus.
Industrial Discharge and Wastewater: Closing the Loop
Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs) for chemical manufacturing, plastics, synthetic fibers, textiles, and landfills advanced throughout 2025. EPA's POTW influent study Information Collection Request sets the stage for comprehensive wastewater regulations. Learn what 2026 deadlines mean for industrial facilities and pretreatment authorities.
TSCA Reporting and Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Expansion
Section 8(a)(7) reporting requirements apply to any entity that manufactured or imported PFAS since 2011. Understand compliance obligations and ever-changing timelines. 205 PFAS became TRI-reportable for 2026 reporting year. The "chemicals of special concern" designation eliminating de minimis exemptions went into effect for the 2024 reporting year. A review of those data will show how impactful this measure was or was not.
Destruction and Disposal: Analytical Requirements Emerge
EPA's updated April 2024 guidance introduced analytical testing recommendations for thermal treatment verification. Review what stakeholders learned about measurement challenges in 2025 and what is expected for 2026.
What's Coming in 2026: Congressional and Regulatory Priorities
Senator Capito's Environment and Public Works Committee promises pressure on SDWA rules and CERCLA liability frameworks. EPA's Spring 2025 Unified Agenda telegraphs rulemaking priorities, but political dynamics create uncertainty. We'll separate confirmed actions from political speculation.
State Programs: Leading Where Federal Hesitates
States continue developing their own PFAS standards, which are often more stringent than federal requirements. Understand how state-level action shapes practical compliance regardless of federal policy shifts.
Who should attend: Environmental managers, regulatory compliance professionals, water utility operators, industrial facility managers, attorneys, consultants, and anyone navigating the evolving PFAS regulatory landscape through 2026.
Airdate: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 - 1:30 PM ET
Length: 60 minutes
Presenter: Taryn McKnight - Eurofins Environment Testing
