Background

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals that have been manufactured and used in many commercial and industrial products. PFAS are generally resistant to natural degradation processes due to strong carbon-fluorine bonds. This allows them to persist in the environment, accumulate in organisms, and potentially pose a threat to human and environmental health. Because of widespread use of PFAS chemicals, most people in the United States have been exposed to them. The PFAS Strategy Team addresses PFAS occurrence, toxicity, and mitigation.

Legislative Mandate

In the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, (P.L. 116-283; Section 332), Congress called for the establishment of an Interagency Working Group to coordinate Federal research on PFAS occurrence, toxicity, and mitigation. In compliance with this law, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP), formed the PFAS Strategy Team under the Joint Subcommittee on Environment, Innovation, and Public Health (JEEP) in late 2021. The team coordinates interagency research on PFAS research and development activities, including through implementation of the PFAS Strategic Research Plan.

It is currently co-chaired by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense, with participation from 13 other federal Agencies.

Activities

The PFAS Strategy Team Report, published in 2023, examined the state of PFAS science, identified data gaps, and indicated research opportunities for the federal government. The team used these findings to develop the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Federal Research and Development Strategic Plan. This document, released by the White House OSTP on September 3, 2024, presents a federal strategy and implementation plan to address the issues identified in the 2023 report.