The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to list two “forever chemicals”—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)—as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund). For some this is a hair-on-fire moment, so let’s pause and evaluate what difference that listing would actually make if it became final.
