On October 29, 2025, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed a Demand for Correction under the federal Information Quality Act, a little-used law that lets the public challenge data released by federal agencies.
The filing targets two EPA “Questions and Answers” webpages—one on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and another on the CERCLA Superfund rule—that claim the manufacture and import of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have been phased out in the United States.
PEER says those pages leave the public with a false impression: that PFOA is gone from U.S. production when, in fact, it continues to form during the fluorination of plastic containers used for everything from pesticides to motor oil.
EPA’s own data tell a different story. In 2023, the agency confirmed that post-mold fluorination of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers—performed by Inhance Technologies LLC—creates measurable amounts of PFOA and other PFAS that can leach into container contents. EPA even ordered the company to halt the process, citing the potential for human exposure. That order was later overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on procedural grounds, but the court did not dispute EPA’s science.
Despite those findings, the agency’s public website still describes PFOA as fully phased out. To PEER, that gap between field data and official messaging amounts to a breakdown in the agency’s information-quality system.
“It is the height of hypocrisy for EPA to pretend these chemicals are no longer being manufactured,” said Kyla Bennett, PEER’s Science Policy Director. “The agency’s own data show otherwise.”
For the EPA, the issue goes beyond one misstatement. The Information Quality Act requires federal agencies to ensure the accuracy, utility, and integrity of all information they release—especially what the agency classifies as “influential scientific information.” If the challenged webpages are found to contain errors, EPA may have to retract or revise them publicly.
That outcome could also set precedent: few environmental groups have used the IQA this aggressively, and success here might encourage others to test agency claims on everything from chemical toxicity to climate modeling.
PFAS chemicals, often called “forever chemicals,” are linked to cancers, fertility issues, and immune dysfunction. EPA has stated that no safe level of PFOA exists in drinking water, making precise communication crucial for communities and industries managing contamination.
As Bennett put it, “When the government’s own science says one thing and its website says another, the public has every right to demand correction.”
EPA officials have acknowledged receipt of the complaint and said the agency will “review and respond through the appropriate administrative channels.” Under EPA guidelines, that response is due within 90 days.
