The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the agency’s first PFAS technology, evaluation, coordination, and harmonization (PFAS TECH) strategy.

This new effort will help catapult technology innovation on PFAS while supporting practical tools, funding, and technical assistance to benefit communities addressing local PFAS challenges. The PFAS TECH strategy prioritizes collaboration between EPA, federal partners, states, local leaders, and the private sector, and will demonstrate what is possible through pilot-scale initiatives.   

The EPA’s goals through this new strategy are to:

• Power innovation in research and development by accelerating new PFAS treatment and destruction technologies through funding, forming new partnerships, and supporting early-stage innovation. This effort includes working with federal partners, states, local businesses, universities, and water systems to test promising methods like foam fractionation, supercritical water oxidation, and other emerging treatment approaches.
• Demonstrate what’s possible through pilot-scale initiatives by conducting projects at Superfund sites, military facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and drinking water systems that will test performance under real conditions.
• Translate progress into practical actions by creating user-friendly guidance, launching the Break the Bond Navigator, sharing updated technology information, and helping water systems access funding and technical assistance. 

In addition to developing partnerships, the EPA intends to issue grant funding for research related to the destruction of PFAS. For example, funding will be available under the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant program.