DuPont reaffirmed its support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plans to conduct a science-based risk assessment for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and to convene a technically informed Scientific Advisory Board to evaluate the risk assessment's findings.

PFOA, a processing aid used by DuPont and others to manufacture fluoropolymers, is currently an unregulated compound. EPA is holding the first of several public meetings on PFOA on June 6 in Washington, D.C., following issuance of a preliminary risk assessment on PFOA in mid-April. In addition to manufacturing and using PFOA for fluoropolymer manufacture, DuPont also manufactures telomers, products in which it has been suggested trace amounts of PFOA may be present.

In written comments submitted to EPA in advance of the public meeting, DuPont emphasized that the regulatory process should be based on high-quality, credible scientific data, and should include a complete characterization of all past and current PFOA exposure routes.