For almost 20 years, the NASF 1000 has served as the surface finishing industry’s quiet safeguard. This fund has been used when regulatory, legal and/or policy threats arise that could fundamentally change how the industry operates.
What It Is
The NASF 1000 is a Board-designated, restricted fund created for one purpose: to ensure the industry has immediate access to the technical, economic, and legal expertise required to respond decisively to high-impact challenges at the State and Federal level. These funds are reserved for urgent, extraordinary actions, not routine government affairs.
How It’s Governed
Requests for NASF 1000 funds are circulated to the NASF Board of Directors and the NASF Government Affairs Committee (GAC). The GAC evaluates proposals and provides recommendations to the NASF Board of Directors. The Board retains full fiduciary responsibility and oversight of all expenditures. Click here to access the NASF 1000 request for funds form.
Why Readiness Matters
Regulatory pressure is not slowing. PFAS, chromium, nickel, cobalt, wastewater standards, and evolving liability theories continue to advance, often rapidly and with little notice. A single high-impact challenge can require several hundred thousand dollars in a short period of time. When action is delayed, opportunities are lost.
A strong NASF 1000 ensures the industry can act immediately and credibly. Viewed through that lens, a fund level approaching $1 million represents preparedness, not excess, and reflects the real cost of defending our industry when it matters most.
What It Has Accomplished
Since 2011, the NASF 1000 has supported approximately $700,000 in critical industry defense, including:
Recent Successes and Projects Funded by NASF 1000
NASF Economic Impact Report –The NASF Economic Impact Report was recently updated to ensure the industry and its members can communicate effectively to policy makers on the industry’s role in vital supply chains and explain the industry’s importance to allied industry organizations, the public and the media. The report underscores that finishing is essential to the US economy, critical for national defense and indispensable to key downstream sectors. This is one of the most requested NASF documents and the update provides members with accurate information that serves as a valuable tool for members.
Industry Engineering Study – No Further National Regulation Needed for Metals in Plating Wastewater: Informed by an NASF 1000-funded engineering study that showed that the industry had reduced metal effluent discharge to POTWs by 90-95% on average over 25 years, U.S. EPA determined that “no further regulation” was necessary to reduce metals in plating effluent discharge.
PFAS Wastewater Discharge Rule – EPA has been working on developing a new wastewater discharge rule to address PFAS. NASF has engaged legal and scientific experts to ensure that the rule minimizes the impact of the rule on the industry, recognizes the industry’s proactive efforts to manage PFAS effectively, and provides compliance flexibility for surface finishing operations. This effort is ongoing as a proposed rule is scheduled for issuance in 2026 under the current administration.
PFAS Litigation Update and Guidance – As PFAS litigation has increased across the nation, surface finishing facilities and chemical supplies has been targeted. NASF is working with outside legal counsel to prepare a series of webinars and presentations in 2026 to update NASF members on the status of PFAS litigation and provide general guidance on how to manage these emerging liabilities.
Web-Based PFAS Resource Center – Surface finishing operations nationwide have been targeted for regulation, enforcement and potential clean up liability of PFAS, or various fluorinated chemistries used in products such as mist suppressants. Even companies that never used fume suppressants are finding they may be subject to regulatory scrutiny and liability. In 2019 NASF launched a new PFAS Resource Center at www.nasf.org/pfas, and the association has recently updated the content on the site.
California Human Health Assessment for Hexavalent Chromium – NASF has provided funding to help sustain the ongoing advocacy and scientific engagement efforts to request that California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) review and update its outdated 1985 hexavalent chromium human health assessment. Substantial new evidence suggests that the original assessment significantly overstates actual human health risk by nearly an order of magnitude. Updating the hexavalent chromium risk assessment will align California’s regulatory approach with the best available science and will have major implications for surface finishing and plating operations in California.
If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding the NASF 1000 program please contact NASF Executive Director, Craig Addington at [email protected]. If you would like additional information on NASF public policy and advocacy activities, please contact Jeff Hannapel at [email protected] and 202-257-3756, or Christian Richter at [email protected] and 202-257-0250.