States Eclipse Feds in Cleaning ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Soil (1)

States are moving to set cleanup targets for so-called “forever chemicals” in soil—guidelines that attorneys say could create the potential for state and federal conflict over standards as the Biden administration advances its own plan to combat PFAS pollution.

Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maine recently have established standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in soil, and California and Washington are exploring them. They reflect the reality that PFAS seeping into the ground can migrate into groundwater.

So far, no state has established an enforceable liability standard for PFAS in soil, at least not explicitly. But that could be coming ...