NJDEP Remediation Standards: Latest 2026 PFAS Levels and Changes
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has finalized remediation standards for four PFAS compounds, established a groundwater standard for GenX, and expanded testing requirements at sites where contamination is uncertain.
The latest amendments affecting the New Jersey Administrative Code Remediation Standards at N.J.A.C. 7:26D were adopted on June 15, 2026.
The main change is regulatory status. Standards introduced on an interim basis in 2022 and 2023 are now final, enforceable requirements. The adoption covers:
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)
- Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid and its ammonium salt, collectively known as GenX or HFPO-DA
Key takeaways
- Latest update: The standards were adopted on June 15, 2026.
- PFAS standards are now final: Interim soil and soil-leachate values for PFNA, PFOA, PFOS and GenX are now formally promulgated.
- GenX groundwater standard: The final level is 0.020 µg/L.
- Soil migration values are site-specific: There is no single generic migration-to-groundwater soil value for the four PFAS.
- Testing requirements have expanded: Certain sites must now be analyzed for PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, GenX and 2,3,7,8-TCDD.
- Methanol was also addressed: Its existing interim migration-to-groundwater soil standard was made final.
Latest NJDEP PFAS remediation levels
The following values are now included in New Jersey’s remediation framework:
| Contaminant | Residential ingestion-dermal soil | Non-residential ingestion-dermal soil | Migration-to-groundwater soil | Soil leachate | Groundwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFNA | 0.047 mg/kg | 0.67 mg/kg | Site-specific | 0.26 µg/L | 0.013 µg/L |
| PFOA | 0.13 mg/kg | 1.8 mg/kg | Site-specific | 0.28 µg/L | 0.014 µg/L |
| PFOS | 0.11 mg/kg | 1.6 mg/kg | Site-specific | 0.26 µg/L | 0.013 µg/L |
| GenX/HFPO-DA | 0.23 mg/kg | 3.9 mg/kg | Site-specific | 0.40 µg/L | 0.020 µg/L |
The soil values address incidental ingestion of contaminated soil and dust, together with dermal contact. The soil-leachate values address the potential movement of contamination from soil into groundwater.
NJDEP has not established one generic migration-to-groundwater soil concentration for these four PFAS. Practitioners must calculate an area-of-concern or site-specific value using the Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure and NJDEP’s PFAS SPLP calculator.
NJDEP states that the calculated migration-to-groundwater values may be one to two orders of magnitude lower than the ingestion-dermal soil standards.
See NJDEP’s PFAS Standards and Regulations and its PFAS soil and soil-leachate technical basis document for the values and supporting methodology.
When were the NJDEP remediation standards last updated?
The latest rule adoption was published and became effective on June 15, 2026.
NJDEP introduced the affected PFAS standards in stages:
- October 2022: NJDEP established interim ingestion-dermal soil standards for PFNA, PFOA, PFOS and GenX.
- June 2023: NJDEP added interim migration-to-groundwater soil and soil-leachate standards.
- June 15, 2026: NJDEP converted the interim values into promulgated standards under N.J.A.C. 7:26D.
The 2026 adoption also replaced the interim GenX groundwater criterion with a final groundwater quality standard of 0.020 µg/L. The associated practical quantitation level is 0.0075 µg/L.
NJDEP explains the adoption in its official PFAS remediation standards announcement. The rulemaking is also listed in the Department’s rule adoption register.
What changed in the 2026 update?
1. PFAS soil standards are now final
The residential and non-residential ingestion-dermal standards for PFNA, PFOA, PFOS and GenX have moved from interim criteria to formally promulgated standards.
2. PFAS soil-leachate standards are now final
The migration-to-groundwater soil-leachate values for the four compounds are now part of the enforceable rule.
3. GenX has a final groundwater standard
The adopted groundwater quality standard for GenX is 0.020 µg/L. This value also functions as the groundwater remediation standard where the Class II-A groundwater standard applies.
4. Migration-to-groundwater soil values remain site-specific
Environmental professionals must use site data, SPLP testing and the NJDEP calculator rather than applying a generic soil concentration.
5. Methanol’s interim standard was promulgated
The rulemaking converted the existing 12 mg/kg migration-to-groundwater soil remediation standard for methanol into a final standard. This was a change in regulatory status rather than a change to the numerical value.
6. Testing requirements have expanded
NJDEP also amended the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation at N.J.A.C. 7:26E.
When contaminants at a site are unknown or not well documented, responsible parties must now include the following chemicals in the required analysis:
- PFNA
- PFOA
- PFOS
- GenX chemicals
- 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, also known as 2,3,7,8-TCDD
The NJDEP adoption announcement describes the scope of these changes. The Department’s Remediation Standards resource page provides access to the rule, comparison tables, calculators and implementation guidance.
What environmental professionals should do now
Environmental professionals working on New Jersey sites should consider the following actions:
- Check sampling plans and analytical suites for the newly required PFAS compounds.
- Compare existing soil and leachate results with the final standards.
- Confirm that laboratory reporting limits are suitable for the applicable values.
- Use the NJDEP PFAS SPLP calculator when assessing the migration-to-groundwater pathway.
- Revisit conceptual site models where PFAS use, storage, disposal or releases may have occurred.
- Review project-specific phase-in and order-of-magnitude requirements before relying on older standards.
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Sources
- NJDEP: Formal Adoption of Site Remediation Standards for PFNA, PFOA, PFOS and GenX
- NJDEP: PFAS Standards and Regulations
- NJDEP: Remediation Standards, N.J.A.C. 7:26D
- NJDEP: PFAS Soil and Soil-Leachate Remediation Standards—Basis and Background
- NJDEP: Notices of Rule Adoption
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