Keeping Compliant

Langan Helps Clients Stay on Top of PFAS Regulations with EQuIS Solutions

PFAS regulatory compliance has become increasingly complex as the United States Environmental Protection Agency has greatly expanded its list of PFAS constituents of regulatory interest over the past decade. While early efforts started with PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely detected PFAS compounds, federal and state agencies now evaluate a broader range of chemicals and their related forms.

As a result, environmental consultants and their clients are facing challenges related to tracking, managing, and interpreting complex data. An effective data management strategy is crucial to confirm that incoming data is standardized, screened against relevant regulations, and available for rescreening as those regulations expand and evolve.

Key Takeaways

• PFAS compliance requires organizations to meet evolving federal and state requirements.
• Environmental data management solutions help organizations improve data consistency by reducing data silos and manual processes.
• PFAS compliance solutions, such as EQuIS and PFAS Navigator Pro, help organizations manage environmental data and stay up-to-date with regulatory requirements.
• Langan combines PFAS technical expertise with advanced environmental data management solutions to help organizations navigate evolving compliance requirements.

What is PFAS Regulatory Compliance?

PFAS regulatory compliance is the adherence to federal, state, and local requirements for investigating and remediating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals. Depending on the project location, compliance may require evaluating environmental data against screening levels, drinking water standards, or cleanup thresholds.

PFAS regulations can vary and are always evolving, so compliance remains an ongoing process. Organizations should monitor regulatory updates and assess historical results when new compounds or thresholds are introduced. Centralized PFAS data management helps this process by making results easy to analyze, review, and update over time.

Why Does PFAS Data Management Matter for Compliance?

As PFAS regulations continue to evolve, organizations must be able to efficiently collect, manage, and interpret large volumes of environmental data. An effective PFAS data management strategy helps standardize analytical results, screen data against applicable federal and state regulatory criteria, and identify potential areas of concern.

As new PFAS compounds are regulated or existing criteria are updated, organizations can efficiently rescreen historical data against current standards without manually reviewing individual datasets. This improves data consistency, supports informed decision-making, and helps environmental professionals adapt to evolving regulatory requirements throughout the lifecycle of a project.

What Are the Benefits of Centralized PFAS Data Management?

Centralized PFAS data management helps organizations maintain accurate, up-to-date environmental data as regulations continue to evolve. Rather than managing data across multiple spreadsheets, a centralized platform provides one source of information for more consistent regulatory compliance and informed decision-making.

The benefits of centralized PFAS data management include:

• Improved regulatory compliance: Screen analytical results against federal and state PFAS criteria to adapt to evolving requirements.
• Efficient data rescreening: Reevaluate historical data against new PFAS regulations, or as existing regulatory thresholds change.
• Enhanced data consistency: Reduce human error and eliminate data silos by maintaining standardized data in one centralized system.
• Reduced manual effort: Streamline data management workflows to improve efficiency and reduce the time spent managing environmental data.

What Are PFAS Compliance Solutions?

PFAS compliance solutions are designed to help organizations meet PFAS regulatory requirements by managing environmental data and screening analytical results against regulatory criteria. By combining data management technology with current PFAS information, organizations can improve data consistency, streamline regulatory screening, and reduce the manual effort required to evaluate results.

Powered by Earthsoft’s EQuIS environmental data management software, Langan hosts both its analytical data and applicable regulatory standards in one central database. This centralized location allows the team to efficiently screen data and identify areas of concern in active projects. Given the continual regulatory changes to PFAS standards, the primary challenge for Langan’s data management team is keeping its archive of PFAS regulatory criteria up to date, made possible through a collaboration with the firm’s regional PFAS experts. These experts monitor regulatory updates to make sure that the team’s central database reflects current regulations.

Staying up to date is only half the battle, however. Traditionally, updated information in a database would only be accessible to data managers. To eliminate a potential black box and provide transparency, Langan developed PFAS Navigator Pro—a company- and client-facing tool that allows users to browse an interactive map of summarized PFAS regulations. The platform is updated as new regulations are released and uploaded to the system, giving users greater visibility into evolving PFAS requirements.

How Langan Supports PFAS Compliance

With growing attention focused on PFAS, staying informed and on top of regulatory changes in real time is essential for successful environmental assessment and remediation. Langan’s PFAS practice helps clients attain success by equipping them with practical solutions and local expertise.

Powered by EQuIS and PFAS Navigator Pro, Langan helps organizations centralize analytical data, screen results, and improve visibility into changing federal and state PFAS regulations.

Explore Langan’s PFAS practice to learn how our experts can help you develop a data management strategy that supports long-term PFAS compliance.

Rachel Walter is a Data Analyst at Langan with experience in both front-end project support and database administration. She set up the EQuIS framework for the PFAS Navigator Pro and is also responsible for project-specific deliverable generation and dashboard management.

PFAS FAQs

How often should PFAS regulatory criteria be reviewed?

PFAS regulatory criteria should be reviewed regularly, as federal and state agencies continue to update screening levels and cleanup standards. Organizations should evaluate these requirements to help ensure their environmental data is assessed against the most current regulatory criteria.

Can historical PFAS analytical data be rescreened as regulations change?

Yes, centralized environmental data management systems allow organizations to efficiently rescreen historical PFAS analytical data against updated regulatory criteria as new and existing standards change. Understanding PFAS data helps identify potential compliance concerns without manually reviewing individual datasets.

What challenges do organizations face when managing PFAS data?

Organizations often manage large volumes of analytical data generated over multiple events or locations. Maintaining data consistency, applying regulatory criteria, and coordinating information across multiple stakeholders can make PFAS data management complex without utilizing a centralized approach.

How does environmental data management support PFAS site investigations?

Environmental data management helps organize, visualize, and evaluate analytical results during PFAS site investigations. Centralized data allows environmental professionals to identify trends, compare results, assess potential areas of concern, and make informed decisions throughout PFAS investigation and remediation projects.

How can organizations prepare for future PFAS regulatory changes?

Organizations can prepare for future PFAS regulatory changes by implementing a centralized environmental data management strategy, monitoring evolving federal and state requirements, and maintaining standardized analytical data that can be easily rescreened.