VALVE MAGAZINE Fall 2025

KEEPING TRACK: PFAS BANS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE

Federal developments: EPA proposes major revisions to PFAS Reporting Rule

On November 10, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced proposed updates to the PFAS reporting rule under TSCA. Under the current rule (finalized in 2023), any company manufacturing or importing PFAS — including importing articles containing PFAS such as seals and gaskets — must report extensive historical data. While the reporting windows remain scheduled for October 13, 2026, or April 13, 2027, (depending on company size and other criteria), the EPA has not yet released the required reporting portal, leaving companies without the tools they need to prepare. The new EPA proposal includes major changes impacting the industrial valve sector :

Division of non-polymer and polymer PFAS. Source: Teadit

fundamentally different from the legacy PFAS compounds driving environmental concern. As many in our industry now know, fluoropolymers typically used in our industry are chemically inert, ther mally stable and essential for preventing leaks, fugitive emissions and system failures. These fluoropolymers provide exten sive benefits in many energy, chemical processing and water/wastewater appli cations. Further, there are no viable alternatives that can withstand many of the required operating conditions in those applications. Eliminating fluoro polymers would increase operational risk, reduce equipment life and in many cases lead to more emissions. This distinction between fluoro polymers and other PFAS substances has been central to VMA’s educational efforts as regulators consider broad PFAS restrictions. Since governments and regulatory agencies globally, starting with the EU, started to formally propose rulemaking and draft regulations on who to ban the use of PFAS, VMA has been moni toring the activity and providing impact analysis to our members. Additionally, VMA has been active in providing educational comments on proposed rules to agencies at the international, federal and state level. VMA has done this under its name alone, as well as with other coalition partners in the industrial flow control industry, most notably The Hydraulic Institute and Fluid Sealing Association.

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