Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) says a national approach to the environmental regulation of per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) is a step closer after last week’s PFAS Summit.
EPA Executive Director of Knowledge Standards and Assessment, Tim Eaton said the summit demonstrated positive collaboration between Australian environmental regulators to identify a long-term plan for the assessment, containment and remediation of PFAS.
“Scientists, engineers, managers and policy and regulatory advisors discussed current environmental standards and the assessment and treatment of sites contaminated with PFAS, as well as the safe disposal of PFAS-impacted wastes,” Mr Eaton said.
“PFAS are a challenge for all environmental regulators and best dealt with together,” he said.
“The precautionary principle and the values of intergenerational equity were key discussion topics for managing these chemicals into the future.”
Mr Eaton said the summit resulted in the development of key aspects of a national management plan for the environmental regulation of PFAS.
EPA coordinated the summit on behalf of the Heads of EPAs Australia and New Zealand (HEPA) and the Australian Government Department of Environment and Energy.
“HEPA will now consider the best way to turn what the summit achieved into a national approach to the environmental regulation of PFAS,” Mr Eaton said.
A video of the summit’s keynote speeches is available on EPA Victoria’s website at www.epa.vic.gov.au/pfas.