PFAS National Environmental Management Plan - …

1 PFAS National Environmental Management Plan CONSULTATION DRAFT | AUGUST 2017. Foreword There is increasing concern worldwide about the Australia. HEPA is well placed to tackle emerging Environmental and human health impacts from the issues such as PFAS, where scientific advances are use of a group of manufactured chemicals known outpacing our current regulatory frameworks. Through as PFAS (per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances). HEPA, the regulators will work together to develop Since the mid-1900s, PFAS have been used in this PFAS National Environmental Management Plan industrial and commercial applications, such as in to achieve clear, effective and coherent approaches firefighting foams, mist suppressants and coatings. to Environmental regulation and Management . PFAS are highly resistant to heat, chemical and biological attack. Consequently, they persist Consultation is an indispensable component of the in the environment and occur in many places, development of a sound PFAS National Environmental including soil, surface water and groundwater.

2 Management Plan. Thank you for your time and consideration of this plan. Your involvement In Australia, we have many sites affected by PFAS in the process to develop the PFAS National contamination. This is a legacy issue that we need Environmental Management Plan will ensure that to deal with and represents a challenge for us as we build on activities already underway, implement regulators. It is a challenge best dealt with collectively, best practice approaches and manage PFAS in a noting that each jurisdiction has its own responsibilities manner that aims to match your expectations. and obligations for managing these chemicals. The Heads of EPAs Australia and New Zealand (HEPA). and the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy (DoEE) are collaborating Acknowledgments in developing a nationally consistent approach to the The Heads of EPAs Australia and New Zealand Environmental regulation of PFAS and progressing (HEPA) acknowledge the contributions to this plan it at the request of Environment Ministers around of Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies.

3 Contents 2 6 Storage and 18. 3 Storage of PFAS-contaminated Executive 4 wastes and 18. 5 Transport of controlled wastes within PFAS 5 and between 18. Purpose and 6. Guiding 7. Other relevant plans and 8 7 Environmental monitoring and 19. Environmental monitoring and 19. PFAS 19. 1 Human 9 Laboratory analysis 19. 2 PFAS 10 8 Stakeholder engagement, Australian 10 communication and data 21. Notifiable 10 Stakeholder engagement and 21. Priority areas for 10 Data 21. 3 Environmental and health 11 9 Research, review and 22. 11 Limitations and 22. Health-based guidance 11 Current knowledge and 22. Ecological protection values for fresh Review process and 22. and marine 11 23. 12. 24. 4 Contaminated sites 13 Appendix A: Site assessment and risk-based 13 PFAS 24. Appendix B: Australian interim/draft criteria 5 Contaminated site Management , and standards for 25. including containment, remediation, treatment and 14 Appendix C: Contaminated site 14 Treatment technologies available in 27.

4 15. Appendix D: Remediation and 15. Interim/draft landfill disposal 28. Landfill disposal and off-site 17. Landfill disposal 17. Performance 17. PFAS National Environmental Management Plan Consultation Draft 1. Preface The per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) National This PFAS NEMP Consultation Draft provides Environmental Management Plan (NEMP) aims to some background on the state of knowledge of provide governments with a consistent, practical, risk- Environmental regulation of PFAS and seeks based framework for the Environmental regulation of feedback on experiences and views. PFAS-contaminated materials and sites. The PFAS. NEMP is being developed as an adaptive plan, able Comments on the questions in this Consultation Paper to respond to emerging research and knowledge. are requested by Monday, 25 September 2017. Your feedback will inform the development of the PFAS.

5 The National Chemicals Working Group of the Heads of National Environmental Management Plan, which EPAs Australia and New Zealand (HEPA) is developing is expected to be provided to HEPA late in 2017. the plan in consultation with relevant Australian Government and State and Territory agencies. The If you wish to make a written submission, you may PFAS NEMP seeks to build a nationally collaborative like to use the template provided on the website. approach and National consistency in priority areas, Written submissions can be sent to email: allowing for the implementation of actions in a way that becomes business as usual'. The plan is being Mail: PFAS NEMP Consultation Feedback developed by all jurisdictions and recognises the c/o- Applied Science Directorate, EPA Victoria need for implementation of best practice regulation GPO Box 4395 Melbourne VIC 3001. through individual jurisdictional mechanisms.

6 If you would like to receive email updates on the The PFAS NEMP is expected to be a reference on PFAS NEMP, including details of opportunities for the state of knowledge related to the Environmental further participation in its development, please regulation of PFAS. The plan will also represent a email us at how-to guide for the investigation and Management of PFAS contamination and waste Management , Your comments will help the development of the including best practice approaches, which will be PFAS NEMP. Please clearly state if you would called upon to inform actions by EPAs. It is important like your contribution to remain confidential. Note to recognise that a practical balance will be required that Freedom of Information access requirements between the desire for perfect understanding and will apply to all comments, even those marked moving forward with Management actions.

7 And treated as confidential. Accordingly, your comments may be released to the public. PFAS National Environmental Management Plan Consultation Draft 2. Abbreviations AELERT Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators network ASC NEPM National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure bw body weight CRC CARE Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment DoEE Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy DW drinking water enHealth Standing Committee on Environmental Health EPA Environmental Protection Agency FSANZ Food Standards Australia New Zealand HEPA Heads of EPAs Australia and New Zealand kg kilogram L litre LCMS liquid chromatography mass spectrometry mg milligrams (10 3g). NEPC National Environment Protection Council NEPM National Environment Protection Measure ng nanograms (10 9g).

8 NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council NMI National Measurement Institute NEMP National Environmental Management Plan NWQMS National Water Quality Management Strategy PCB polychlorinated biphenyl PFAS per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances PFHxA perfluorohexanoic acid PFHxS perfluorohexane sulfonate PFNA perfluorononanoic acid PFAS National Environmental Management Plan PFOA perfluorooctanoic acid PFOS perfluorooctane sulfonate PFOSA perfluorooctane sulfonamide RWQ recreational water quality TDI tolerable daily intake TOF total organic fluorine TOPA total oxidisable precursor assay Consultation Draft g micrograms (10 6g). Water Quality Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality Guidelines 3. Executive summary This PFAS National Environmental This document introduces PFAS, their applications and their persistence in the environment and a Management Plan (NEMP) Consultation recognition that sound Environmental Management Draft arises from an April 2017 regulators is important for protecting human health.

9 Health- summit at which jurisdictions agreed based guidance values for PFAS have been agreed by authorities in Australia and are listed in this to develop a nationally consistent document for ease of reference. There is information approach to the Environmental on the value of a National stocktake of stockpiles and regulation of PFAS. This Consultation contamination and criteria for determining priority areas for assessment. Examples of environment Draft serves as the basis for feedback and health criteria used to inform site investigations on experiences and views on the are also provided, again for ease of reference. Environmental regulation of PFAS. There is information on site assessment and The consultation process will inform the development Management , which should include determining the of the PFAS NEMP (the plan), which will provide risk to receptors associated with land and resource a consistent, practical, risk-based framework uses and off-site movement.

10 Further discussion is for the assessment and Management of PFAS provided on Management of contaminated sites, contamination. Development and implementation of containment, remediation and treatment, landfill the plan will build trust and confidence in the way in disposal, performance standards for treatment and which PFAS are managed and ensure that people destruction facilities, and storage and transport. enjoy the benefit of equivalent protection from PFAS. There are many PFAS compounds and only a few contamination wherever they live in Australia. available analytical methods. The preferred approach The National Chemicals Working Group of the is to use commercially available methods for the main Heads of EPAs Australia and New Zealand (HEPA) compounds, including PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS. is developing the plan in consultation with relevant Subsequently, techniques such as Total Oxidisable Australian Government, State and Territory agencies.