The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the government of Flanders, Belgium, have formally pledged to share enforcement and compliance assurance information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other fluorocarbon chemicals.

A statement of intent was signed Aug. 23 to share information on PFAS and other fluorocarbon chemicals relating “to enforcement and compliance of water issues, waste management and soil remediation, innovative approaches to clean up and contaminated site revitalization, and air quality management,” a news release said. PFAS are long-lasting chemicals that are widely used, and their components break down slowly over time, the EPA’s website said.

“This statement of intent recognizes that our respective governments have a shared interest in addressing environmental challenges posed by releases of PFAS and other fluorocarbon chemicals to the environment,” said Larry Starfield, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, in the release. “The mutual sharing of information pledged in the statement of intent will benefit both the U.S. and Flanders as we look for efficient and creative options to protect human health and the environment.”

Flanders contains more than two-thirds of Belgium's total population.

The statement of intent can include cooperation in the form of “policy dialogues, transfer or exchange of technical information, projects to demonstrate improved environmental management approaches, participation and/or organization of symposia, conferences, seminars, workshops and training courses, study tours and visitor exchanges, publications and cooperative research,” the statement of intent said. The statement is effective for three years.

The Flemish government "embarks on an important international cooperation with the United States and the EPA," said Flemish Minister of Justice and Enforcement, Environment, Energy and Tourism Zuhal Demir in the release.

“We both have the shared interest to protect our environment, our society and the health of our citizens," Demir said. "And we both have the ambition to lift our environmental protection to a higher level. I’m honored that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be with us ... as we work even harder to achieve the ambition for a healthier and safer environment for all our citizens.”