An EPA rule that would have limited the amount of PFAS that can be discharged into waterways by companies has been withdrawn by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), due to the regulatory freeze issued by President Trump. Because the proposed rule had not yet been finalized, it was subject to the freeze.
If finalized, the rule (Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for PFAS Manufacturers Under the Organic Chemicals, Plastics and Synthetic Fibers Point Source Category) would have limited the amount of PFAS discharged from PFAS manufacturing facilities, both directly into surface water and indirectly via Publicly Owned Treatment Works. As detailed in the OMB summary of the proposed rule’s statement of need, exposure to certain PFAS can harm the health of humans and animals, and is difficult to destroy and extremely persistent in the environment. But “PFAS manufacturer wastewater discharges contain measurable levels of PFAS and there currently are no national limitations on wastewater discharges of PFAS from these facilities.”
While this proposed rule has been withdrawn, an ASDWA publication notes that this is not the same as the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR). Because that was finalized in April 2024, it is not subject to the freeze (though some news outlets have confused the two regulatory actions). The withdrawn rule, however, would have helped further protect drinking water sources against PFAS.
What the regulatory freeze and review order means for other proposed rules is yet to be determined, but TAG will continue to stay updated and keep our readers informed. For more information on PFAS, its regulatory focus, and impacts of these on the food industry, view TAG’s Insights articles on PFAS.
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Infectious Disease News:
- The suspected outbreak of Marburg virus has been confirmed in two patients in Tanzania. Surveillance for additional cases continues but the majority have tested negative. This has prompted Tanzania’s government to issue a travel advisory for people leaving their country.
- A tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Kansas City has become the largest documented in U.S. history since the CDC began tracking cases in the 1950s. Since early 2024, 67 active TB cases and 79 latent cases have been reported, mostly in Wyandotte County, with two deaths linked to the outbreak. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is collaborating with local health departments and the CDC to provide treatment and limit the spread, emphasizing that the risk to the general public remains very low.
- The United States has reported its first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu in poultry, according to Reuters on January 27, 2025. This marks a significant development in monitoring avian influenza, as the highly pathogenic strain could impact both agriculture and public health. Further details about the outbreak and potential containment measures are yet to be disclosed.
- The UK has reported its seventh case of clade 1b mpox, linked to recent travel from Uganda, where the virus is currently active. The UK Health Security Agency reassures that the risk to the public remains low, with close contacts identified and advised. Meanwhile, the WHO reports ongoing mpox activity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Uganda, with cases spreading internationally. Though some regions in the DRC have stabilized, continued outbreaks and escalating violence in the east are complicating response efforts.
