Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) in Biosolids
On July 1, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the memorandum Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids (Docket ID no. EPA-HQ-OW-2026-2509). The public comment period ended on October 5, 2026. The agency looks forward to reviewing public comments on this draft guidance and using this information to inform its next steps.
This memorandum includes draft guidance that, if finalized, would provide recommendations that may be helpful to operators of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and related facilities, landowners and farmers, state and Tribal water agencies, and the public. It provides voluntary recommendations for potential ways to mitigate risks from PFOA and PFOS when managing sewage sludge and biosolids.
- Document: Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids (pdf)
- Federal Register Notice: Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk From Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) in Biosolids; Establishment of a Public Docket; Request for Feedback
Listening Sessions
The EPA hosted two virtual listening sessions on EPA’s Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS on August 12th and August 18th, 2026. These listening sessions allowed stakeholders to provide spoken feedback on the draft guidance to the EPA. The slides and recordings of the listening sessions are available in the docket.