The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released updated interim guidance on the destruction and disposal of certain harmful substances, some of which are used by collision repair shops.

The substances are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” EPA says they’re found in adhesives, coatings for clothes and furniture, and fire-fighting foam among other widespread use in consumer, commercial, and industrial products. Scientific studies show that exposure to some PFAS in the environment is linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals, according to the EPA.

In February, the EPA said it was working to modify its definition of hazardous waste permitted at auto dealers and repair shops to lessen environmental and health risks posed by PFAS.

Corrective action under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires facilities that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste to protect health and the environment by investigating and cleaning up hazardous releases into soil, groundwater, surface water, and air.

Two rules were proposed earlier this year: the “Definition of Hazardous Waste Applicable to Corrective Action from Solid Waste Management Units” and the “Listing of Specific PFAS as Hazardous Constituents.”

After collecting public comment on both, the EPA said Tuesday its updated guidance “reflects the latest, best available science to provide information that managers of PFAS wastes can use to evaluate the most appropriate destruction, disposal, or storage method among those currently available.”

“The guidance also recommends that decision-makers prioritize the use of technologies with the lowest potential for environmental release to better protect people and communities from PFAS exposures,” EPA said in a news release. “The guidance contains a new technology evaluation framework that enables technology developers to assess emerging innovative destruction and disposal methods.”

The EPA said its guidance also explains why publicly releasing data is necessary to validate whether existing and new technologies may be suitable for larger-scale use. EPA has new test methods and improved screening tools to identify and prioritize safeguards for communities located near destruction and disposal facilities and overburdened by pollution, according to an April 9 news release from the agency.

“This guidance is another important step in the agency’s efforts to protect communities from PFAS pollution,” said Cliff Villa, deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management, in the release. “It is a testament to the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwavering commitment to advance scientific understanding on methods to remediate, dispose of, and destroy PFAS contamination.”

The updated interim guidance retains EPA’s 2020 guidance focus on three existing destruction and disposal (D&D) technologies — underground injection, landfills, and thermal treatment under certain conditions including incineration.

Key differences in the 2024 guidance, according to the EPA, are:

• • Storage isn’t a D&D technology but can be a short-term option while more fitting for some PFAS materials than others. For example, EPA recommends interim storage of containerized or high PFAS-content materials.
  • UIC–Permitted Class I non-hazardous industrial or hazardous waste injection wells can be used to isolate liquid wastes deep below the land surface while also protecting underground sources of drinking water. However, that option may not be appropriate or available to everyone.
  • Thermal treatment under certain conditions can be more effective at destroying PFAS and minimizing releases or exposures, but more research is needed.

The EPA found and shared in its interim guidance data gaps and uncertainties that are the subject of ongoing research “to achieve efficient destruction of PFAS and minimization of environmental PFAS release.”

A docket is available online to submit comments to the EPA on the interim guidance for 180 days from the publication date.

The next step is for the agency and other government, academic, and private institutions to continue researching PFAS and their D&D, according to the EPA. EPA said it will review public comments, advances in research, and new science to revise the interim guidance again within three years as required in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The interim guidance is part of the EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, which describes the agency’s plans to confront PFAS contamination, EPA said.

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