On this page, you will find information and regulatory updates regarding PFAS. Please check this page frequently for the most recent developments and details.
Inhance Technologies, a Responsible Care™ company, has served customers with its fluorination technology for 40 years, and is committed to continuing safe operations that are protective of its workers, local communities, the public and the environment. Fluorinated barrier packaging is critical in protecting the environment by preventing permeation of container contents through evaporative emissions. Inhance Technologies’ barrier technology annually prevents more than 25,000 metric tons of chemicals from being released into the environment that would otherwise occur due to packaging permeation.
Inhance Technologies does not utilize – and has never utilized – PFAS in any of our processes. Inhance Technologies’ fluorination technology is compliant with FDA regulation 21CFR 177.1615 and applicable REACH regulations. Any PFAS, if present, are unintended impurities that serve no commercial purpose.
Quantitative risk assessments carried out by highly credible third-party experts show that fluorination of packaging and fuel systems do not present an unreasonable risk to the environment or human health. Sectors that heavily rely on Inhance Technologies’ fluorination technology include crop protection, fuel systems, and healthcare (e.g., rigid cold chain packaging that ensures the safe transportation of vaccines and vital biologic medicines).
Over the past two years, Inhance Technologies has conducted significant research and development and voluntarily implemented measures to further reduce the potential for PFAS formation, achieving non-detect levels in almost all of the plastic packaging articles treated. Through its continuing investments, the company expects to reach 100% non-detect for all PFAS in question.
Fluorinated barrier packaging represents less than 0.2% of the 15 billion pounds of polyethylene packaging produced annually in the United States, and is vital to environmental and human health protection, product efficacy, and sustainability.
Press Releases
Court Documents
Timeline of court events:
- December 1, 2023: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Inhance Technologies to shut down its barrier technology facilities on February 28, 2024 across the U.S.
- December 8, 2023: Inhance Technologies filed a petition challenging EPA's orders and sought a stay, or halt, of the orders and an expedited review by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- December 12, 2023: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted Inhance Technologies' motion to stay the orders issued by EPA on December 1, 2023, and the motion for expedited review
- December 22, 2023: Inhance Technologies filed the opening brief for a petition with the Fifth Circuit to stop the one-sided EPA orders
- December 29, 2023: Multiple trade associations filed Amicus Briefs in support of Inhance Technologies' petition
- January 10, 2024: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied PEER and CEH's Motion to Intervene in Inhance Technologies' challenge to EPA's orders and denied as moot PEER and CEH's motion for an expedited ruling on their intervention motion.
- January 22, 2024: EPA's reply to Inhance Technologies' petition is due to the Fifth Circuit
- January 30, 2024: Inhance Technologies filed a brief in the Fifth Circuit Court responding to EPA's reply and a request to dismiss opposing Amici filings
- February 5, 2024: Arguments will be heard by the Court
- March 21, 2024: The Fifth Circuit Court issued a unanimous decision agreeing with Inhance Technologies that the EPA acted unlawfully when it issued orders under the Toxic Substances Control Act directing Inhance Technologies to shut down its U.S. barrier technology facilities.
- May 13, 2024: 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its final mandate vacating EPA's Unilateral Orders, ruling that EPA acted illegally in issuing the December 2023 orders that would have prohibited Inhance Technologies from fluorinating plastic containers.
- May 13, 2024: EPA gave notice to the district courts in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that it voluntarily dismissed its action against Inhance Technologies in its entirety.
On May 13, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its final mandate vacating EPA’s Unilateral Orders, ruling that EPA acted illegally in issuing the December 2023 orders that would have prohibited Inhance Technologies from fluorinating plastic containers.
On May 13, EPA gave notice to the district courts in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that it voluntarily dismissed its action against Inhance Technologies in its entirety.
The Fifth Circuit Court issued a unanimous decision agreeing with Inhance Technologies that the EPA acted unlawfully when it issued orders under the Toxic Substances Control Act directing Inhance Technologies to shut down its U.S. barrier technology facilities.
Inhance Technologies filed a brief in the Fifth Circuit Court responding to EPA’s petition and a request to dismiss opposing Amici filings
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order denying PEER and CEH’s Motion to Intervene in Inhance Technologies’ challenge to EPA’s orders. The Court also denied as moot PEER and CEH’s motion for an expedited ruling on their intervention motion.
In this opposition brief, Inhance Technologies challenged the motion of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to intervene in and expedite consideration of Inhance Technologies’ petition for review.
The American Chemical Council (ACC), U.S. Chamber of Commerce, CropLife America, Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA), and Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) filed a brief in support of Inhance Technologies’ petition challenging EPA’s orders.
The Coalition of Responsible TSCA Implementation filed a brief in support of Inhance Technologies’ petition challenging EPA’s orders.
In this opening brief, Inhance Technologies challenged two unilateral orders issued on December 1, 2023, by the EPA.
The Fifth Circuit issued its briefing schedule for the case. Inhance Technologies’ brief is due December 22, 2023; EPA’s brief is due January 24, 2024; and Inhance Technologies’ reply brief will be due seven days after the government files its brief. Oral argument in the case is tentatively set for the week February 5, 2024.
The Fifth Circuit granted Inhance Technologies’ motion for expedited briefing and argument and a stay of the EPA orders calling for a halt on production.
Inhance Technologies submitted this motion requesting the Fifth Circuit expedite consideration of the company’s petition for review and asked the Fifth Circuit to stay EPA’s unilateral orders pending the court’s review.
In this petition, Inhance Technologies challenged two unilateral orders issued on December 1, 2023, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The December 1 orders had prohibited the operation of the company’s fluorination process after February 28, 2024.
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Resources
Enkase™ Barrier Packaging Technology information
DuraBloc™ Fuel Systems Barrier Technology information
ToxStrategies Fluorinated Packaging Risk Assessment Summary: Summary of risk assessments and exposure modeling of LCPFAC impurities in fluorinated packaging, November 30, 2022.
ToxStrategies Fuel Systems Risk Assessment Summary: Summary of risk assessments and exposure modeling of LCPFAC impurities in fluorinated fuel tanks and fuel storage containers, November 14, 2022.
ToxStrategies article in ScienceDirect on risk assessments of fluorinated HDPE containers – January 3, 2024: A peer reviewed study and article in Elsevier’s ScienceDirect Journal concludes that fluorinated HDPE containers do not pose an unacceptable hazard to humans and aquatic and terrestrial species, even with worst-case assumptions and inputs used in the assessments.