Trump EPA Updates PFAS Destruction and Disposal Guidance to Protect American Communities

Trump EPA Updates PFAS Destruction and Disposal Guidance to Protect American Communities

Updated gold-standard science identifies the most effective methods to destroy or dispose of PFAS

April 23, 2026

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing updated, science-backed guidance for the destruction and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The updated interim guidance reflects the most recent data available and is designed to give states, utilities, waste handlers, and local communities the information they need to manage these chemicals safely and protect human health.

"Keeping Americans safe from PFAS exposure is a top priority and a key part of the Trump EPA's unwavering commitment to Make America Healthy Again," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. "This updated guidance identifies approaches to manage PFAS waste using the best available gold-standard science, so communities across the country can be confident that these chemicals are being managed, disposed of and destroyed in ways that safeguard their health and their environment."

PFAS are widely used, long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly over time. Because of their persistence in the environment, they should be destroyed or disposed of in a safe way that mitigates risks to nearby communities. EPA continuously reviews the latest data on destruction and disposal techniques to identify approaches that best protect human health and the environment. EPA's updated guidance recommends technologies with the lowest potential for releasing PFAS to the environment based on site-specific conditions, including three existing technologies that stand out for having lower potential for environmental release of PFAS than other technologies:

• Using Class I underground injection wells for long-term waste storage.
• Disposing PFAS in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulated hazardous waste landfills.
• Using hazardous waste combustors that operate under specific conditions to destroy PFAS and minimize harmful byproducts and air emissions.

EPA and other government, academic, and private sector institutions are working simultaneously to advance innovation, develop new technologies and methods, and better understand PFAS destruction. To support these developments, EPA's updated guidance also includes a new technology evaluation framework to assess the safety and effectiveness of emerging tools. In support of EPA's commitment to unparalleled transparency, the agency encourages technology developers and researchers to generate and publicly release data consistent with the principles of gold-standard science.

EPA will accept comments on the interim guidance for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. Comments will be used to help inform a future update of this guidance and can be submitted to the public docket at Regulations.govExit EPA's website, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OLEM-2020-0527Exit EPA's website.

Background

Administrator Zeldin has been fighting PFAS contamination since his time in Congress, where he helped found the PFAS Congressional Taskforce and supported legislation to fund community cleanup efforts. As a representative from Long Island, an area heavily affected by PFAS contamination, he has seen firsthand how these chemicals can impact families and communities. In February 2026, EPA announced the agency's accomplishments in the first year of the Trump Administration's second term.

During President Trump's first term, EPA convened a two-day National Leadership Summit on PFAS in Washington, D.C. that brought together more than 200 federal, state, and local leaders from across the country to discuss steps to address PFAS.

In 2019, the Trump EPA announced the PFAS Action Plan. This historic plan responded to extensive public interest and input the agency received and represented the first time EPA built a multi-media, multi-program, national communication and research plan to address an emerging environmental challenge like PFAS. EPA's Action Plan identified both short-term solutions for addressing these chemicals and long-term strategies that will help provide the tools and technologies states, tribes, and local communities need to provide clean and safe drinking water to their residents and to address PFAS at the source-even before it gets into the water. Find more information about President Trump's first-term successes on PFAS.