On December 19, 2024, EPA announced draft national recommended human health criteria (HHC) for three PFAS in waterbodies: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). As provided in EPA’s announcement, the draft HHC are as follows:

EPA’s recommended HHC were developed pursuant to the Clean Water Act (CWA) and will not be legally binding. However, when final, the HHC may be considered by states and authorized tribes when adopting water-quality criteria required by the CWA to protect designated water uses.

EPA’s HHC are subject to a 60-day comment period, and comments must be received by February 24, 2025.

EPA’s announcement in the Federal Register and guidance on submitting public comments can be found here. More information on this announcement can be found on EPA’s website here.