The agency is assessing new effluent limitation guidelines and pretreatment standards, but their effect on daily operations is not clear. WM, Republic Services, and waste trade groups have weighed in.
The U.S. EPA has announced plans to develop new effluent limitation guidelines and pretreatment standards for landfill leachate due to the presence of PFAS.
The recommendation is based on a study of 200 landfills it conducted in September 2021, which found PFAS was present in leachate at 95% of the locations. It counted 63 different PFAS among the sites surveyed.
It’s not yet clear when new rules would take effect or how they might impact daily landfill operations, in part because the process is “pending resource availability” according to the report. The waste industry is also awaiting other EPA decisions on PFAS that could affect operations, such as the anticipated regulation of certain PFAS as hazardous substances under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the establishment of certain drinking water standards.
David Biderman, executive director and CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America, called the ELG announcement a “potentially significant development.” He said in an email that SWANA has been discussing the news with members and “will be developing its response in the coming months.”
SWANA met with the EPA during the landfill study stakeholder process. The agency also met with the National Waste & Recycling Association, WM and Republic Services, and the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials.
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