June 2000:

The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) formed the Fluoropolymers Manufacturers Group (FMG) to facilitate the industry's cooperative efforts with EPA and other government agencies. Representatives of the fluoropolymer industry met with EPA to discuss concerns and data gaps with respect to PFOA and related compounds.

September 2000:

The industry announced a voluntary program to develop and provide data to EPA on PFOA. Members of the FMG met with EPA to provide data on the uses of PFOA in the industry and on the uses of fluoropolymers in commerce. Regular update meetings followed, and data was supplied to EPA as studies were completed.

March 2001:

Fluoropolymer manufacturers committed to a reduction in the amount of PFOA materials coming from fluoropolymer manufacturing, on a global, individual company-wide basis, by 50 percent within five years. FMG presented EPA with a material balance on uses of PFOA and related products in fluoropolymer manufacturing based on data supplied by fluoropolymer manufacturers. The material balance is an accounting of all the PFOA material used in a particular process.

April 2001:

FMG provided EPA with details on the extensive research to find possible PFOA alternatives and the necessity of PFOA materials in making fluoropolymers. No successful replacement material has been found in more than 30 years of active research for substitutes.

October 2001:

The Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe (APME), SPI's sister European trade association, provided EPA with details of the industry's toxicology program and presented early results of its two-generation reproductive study.

March 2002:

Industry provided EPA with additional data on the two-generation reproductive study in rats and reports on human biomonitoring.

April 2002:

FMG developed and presented a chart of potential points of exposure.

September 2002:

Industry announced cooperation with EPA to identify and research data gaps on potential public exposure to PFOA and related compounds.

December 2002:

Industry toxicologists reached agreement with EPA staff on a research approach on the rate of uptake, metabolism and elimination of PFOA and related compounds (pharmacokinetics).

March 2003:

Industry groups submitted Letters of Intent to EPA to formalize their research and product stewardship commitments.

April 2003:

Industry committed to participate in developing enforceable consent agreements for further research on sources and pathways of potential public exposures to PFOA. EPA stated (4/14) that it "does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial-related products."

June 2003:

At an EPA public meeting, the FMG committed to continue working with EPA to "define routes of exposure to the public and environment, to characterize the health implications of that exposure and to significantly reduce potential exposure sources from the fluoropolymer industry."

The FMG noted that "fluoropolymers are a key material for industries that make up the core of our country's economy."

November 2003:

Charles M. Auer, director of the EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, issued a statement summarizing progress on the PFOA issue and commending the fluoropolymer industry on its cooperation. "This progress is the result of a tremendous amount of work, effort, and commitment on the part of the industries involved, the stakeholders participating, and the Agency."

November 2004:

Two member companies of the Fluoropolymers Manufacturing Group have provided Memorandums of Understanding to EPA for environmental monitoring studies at manufacturing sites producing fluoropolymers.

January 2005:

On January 12, 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a draft risk assessment of PFOA (available at www.epa.gov/opptintr/pfoa/pfoarisk.htm).

The draft risk assessment is consistent with EPA's previously stated position that the Agency "does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial-related products" made with PFOA.

The draft risk assessment will be submitted to EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB). SPI member companies will provide input to the SAB process. EPA will then finalize the risk assessment based on public and SAB comments.

Ongoing:

An Enforceable Consent Agreement will be signed by EPA and the fluoropolymer manufacturers to conduct a study to determine if PFOA is released from representative products in the high temperature conditions typical of municipal and medical incinerators.

Public meetings with EPA continue as part of the ECA process, as industry works with EPA to identify and address remaining research gaps and implement additional testing and monitoring.