EPA Proposes Changes to PFAS Reporting Rules to Reduce Burdens on Businesses

The agency’s plan would exempt low-concentration PFAS, imported articles and certain by-products while preserving data collection on long-term chemical risks.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• November 14, 2025

The EPA has proposed revisions to its reporting requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), aiming to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses while maintaining the agency’s ability to gather essential information on the chemicals’ use and potential risks.

The proposal would amend the one-time PFAS reporting rule finalized in 2023, which requires companies that manufactured or imported PFAS or PFAS-containing articles between 2011 and 2022 to submit detailed data on production, uses, by-products, exposure pathways, and disposal practices. Industry groups and small businesses have argued that the original rule is overly broad and costly to comply with.

Under the new proposal, the EPA would exempt several categories of PFAS-related activities from reporting. These include PFAS present in mixtures or articles at concentrations of 0.1 percent or lower, imported articles containing PFAS, PFAS generated as by-products or present as impurities, and small quantities used for research and development. The agency also proposes exempting non-isolated intermediates—materials created and consumed within a manufacturing process and not intentionally removed.

The EPA is also seeking to shorten the reporting window. Instead of a six-month submission period, companies would have three months to report, beginning 60 days after the final rule takes effect. The look-back period, however, would remain unchanged, meaning manufacturers and importers would still need to provide data covering activities from 2011 through 2022.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the revisions are intended to make the rule more practical and aligned with congressional intent. He described the prior version as imposing unnecessary costs on businesses, particularly smaller firms, while producing limited meaningful information. The agency says the updated approach balances industry concerns with the need to collect data required to evaluate PFAS risks to public health and the environment.

Once the proposal is published in the Federal Register, a 45-day public comment period will open. The agency will issue a final rule after reviewing comments.

PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” are used in thousands of industrial applications and consumer products and are known for their persistence in the environment and potential health impacts. The EPA’s adjustments mark the latest step in its broader effort to manage PFAS contamination nationwide.