| Today as Chair of the Environment Committee, State Senator Rick Lopes lead passage of a bill furthering a ban on the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In 2021, the state legislature passed a narrow ban on these toxic ‘forever chemicals’ that prohibited use in class B firefighting foam and food packaging.
“PFAS are known forever chemicals that are used in so many products and end up seeping into our drinking water sources and cause a host of issues – kidney cancer, impaired fertility and liver function, they are dangerous to fetal development and so much more,” said Sen. Lopes. “I am grateful that the state and federal governments are investing billions into remediation, but in order to truly solve this issue we need to stop the use of these harmful chemicals, and this bill is a necessary expansion of the existing ban.”
The legislation passed today expands the ban to include any soil treatments that contain PFAS beginning October 1, 2024.
Beginning January 1, 2028 the bill will prohibit the sale or distribution of the following items, should they have PFAS intentionally added:
- Apparel
- Carpets or rugs
- Cleaning products
- Cookware
- Cosmetics
- Dental floss
- Fabric treatments
- Children’s products
- Menstruation products
- Textile furnishings
- Ski wax
Beginning January 1, 2026 manufacturers who use PFAS in the aforementioned products will be required to submit a report to DEEP that includes a product description, why PFAS is in the product and the amount of PFAS in it.
Lastly, the bill explicitly specifies that school districts are eligible for funding from the General Fund’s PFAS testing account to test for and remediate PFAS contamination in drinking water supplies. |
