The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new measures that would keep perfluorinated chemicals from re-entering the U.S. marketplace.

The EPA began imposing restrictions to phase out perfluorooctanoic c acid (PFOA) in 2006, when it reached a voluntary pact with eight chemical companies. The agreement aimed to phase out 95% of PFOA by 2010 and 100% by 2015. (Read more from the EPA on PFOA chemicals.)

PFOA has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals and was commonly used in manufacturing in cleaners, carpet, leather, textiles, paints, paper, wire insulation and non-stick coatings.

“We will continue that progress now that all importers and other domestic manufactures will be required to give EPA an opportunity to review and restrict uses of these perfluorinated chemicals,” says Jim Jones, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

This most recent effort by EPA is meant to stop imports of PFOA from coming back into the manufacturing supply chain. As an alternative, EPA says the companies participating in the agreement have now developed more than 150 chemical alternatives to PFOA.

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