Environmental sustainability, employee and consumer safety are the highest priorities for SPAN members. The PFAS produced or used in manufacturing operations by our member companies are thoroughly reviewed and authorized prior to their use in the US by the appropriate federal agencies, like the U.S. EPA and FDA. It’s important to note that not all PFAS are the same—they contain specific chemical properties and characteristics that provide practical benefits in specialized applications and yield unique environmental and health profiles. SPAN supports responsible PFAS management solutions for addressing PFAS that are scientifically identified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) substances, while requiring appropriate restrictions which enable the acceptable use of substances known to be acceptable for their intended use.

No. SPAN supports phasing out the production and use of scientifically identified persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) substances like PFOS and PFOA. American manufacturers voluntarily worked with regulators to carefully phase down and permanently cease the production and use of PFOS in 2002 and PFOA by 2015.

SPAN member companies are committed to responsible, science- and risk-based stewardship practices for the production and use of PFAS containing compounds and encourage use of the best available contemporary environmental control technologies to minimize release and human exposure to those compounds identified as PBT substances.

Per and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of synthetic compounds distinguished by their versatility, strength and durability, setting them apart from other chemistries. American manufacturers spend billions of dollars each year researching and developing possible alternatives to PFAS compounds. Today, no readily available chemical substitutes exist to replace every PFAS containing compound in many everyday consumer products and industrial uses.  However, SPAN members are actively encouraging and participating in the search for technically feasible alternatives on a chemical and use-specific basis. 

The U.S. EPA and FDA regulate the production and uses of PFAS compounds at the federal level. The EPA has taken some key steps in providing greater oversight for PFAS by issuing in 2021 its PFAS Strategic Roadmap which lays out a “whole-of-agency” approach to addressing PFAS.   https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024 This program includes the Agency’s “National PFAS Testing Strategy,” a strategic and science-based approach for identifying and evaluating PFAS organized into groupings based on their structural features and existing data profiles. Moving forward, SPAN supports leveraging scientific research to guide PFAS regulations consistently at the federal level, basing any use restrictions on a risk-based approach that takes into consideration specific risk, by evaluating the hazards of and exposures to affected substances.