Oregon

• DEQ is asking for public comment on proposed rule amendments for the draft TMDL and Water Quality Management Plan for the Willamette Subbasins to address temperature impairments. DEQ will consider comments received by 4pm on Feb 23, 2024. A public hearing will be held Feb 16, 2024 at 9am. View the rulemaking page for more information.

PFAS

• In case you missed it! EPA has taken the following actions on PFAS in the last three months:
  • In January 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the automatic addition of seven per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). These seven PFAS were added to the TRI list pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides the framework for the automatic addition of PFAS to TRI each year in response to specified EPA activities involving such PFAS. For TRI Reporting Year 2024 (reporting forms due by July 1, 2025), reporting is required for these seven additional PFAS, bringing the total PFAS subject to TRI reporting to 196. Read More.
  • In December 2023, the EPA released its second annual report on PFAS progress.  The report highlights significant accomplishments achieved under the EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s all of government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals. Read the report: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-12/epas-pfas-strategic-roadmap-dec-2023508v2.pdf
  • In October 2023, EPA released a final rule that will improve reporting on PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) by eliminating an exemption that allowed facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals were used in small concentrations. Under this new rule, EPA will receive more comprehensive data on PFAS and looks forward to sharing these data with our partners and the public. Review the Final Rule.