News & Insights: PFAS

Today, the Keep Food Containers Safe From PFAS Act was passed as an amendment to the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements (FDASLA) Act of 2022 on a bipartisan vote (13-9) in the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP). The amendment, which will ban the use of PFAS (perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances) in food packaging, was offered by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) with the support of Senator Murkowski (R-AK).

Report triggers new Washington rulemaking to regulate the largest-ever number of chemical classes and products by a state—with 4 chemical classes in 10 product categories Restrictions include phthalates in fragrances, BPA in drink can linings, and PFAS in home textiles, among others Olympia, WA—On Monday, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) released its final […]

Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law a groundbreaking bipartisan bill restricting the sale of PFAS “forever chemicals” in consumer products including oil and gas products; carpets or rugs; cosmetics; fabric treatments; food packaging; juvenile products; textile furnishings; and upholstered furniture. While several states have passed legislation to restrict PFAS in certain products, Colorado is the first in the U.S. to include a prohibition on PFAS chemicals in fluids that are used in the extraction of oil and gas products. Colorado is also the first state in the country to pass a state law that explicitly bans the entire class of PFAS in cosmetics, textile furnishings and indoor and outdoor furniture.

Yesterday, during its annual member meeting, REI leadership failed to commit to phasing out toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” from the products it makes and sells. The company addressed the PFAS problem during the meeting following nationwide public pressure led by Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program, including on its own message board. However, REI’s response did not provide new commitments nor a date or timeline towards phasing out these toxic “forever chemicals.

Mark Hyland, Board Chair for Defend Our Health, has been an REI member since 1973. PFAS contamination is a huge problem in his home state of Maine where multi-generation dairy farms have closed forever due to this “forever chemical”. He is urging REI to step up to the plate and address PFAS in their products now rather than later.

On Monday, April 25, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Representative Dan Kildee (MI-5) introduced the PFAS Firefighter Protection Act in the House and Senate to ban firefighting foams containing “forever chemicals”— PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The bicameral legislation would prohibit the manufacture, import, and sale of all firefighting foam that contain PFAS for use in training and firefighting within two years of enactment. It would also ban the use of PFAS foams at airports by October 2024.

On Wednesday, Maine Governor Janet Mills signed into law a bipartisan bill, LD 1911, that is the first in the nation to ban the spreading of sludge and sludge-derived compost as fertilizer. Sludge has been the source of widespread contamination from PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), known as “forever chemicals,” forcing family farms to shut down and poisoning drinking water wells of entire communities. The law bans the use of sludge as a soil amendment. 

Textile certifiers are lagging behind what is happening around the country as states and companies take action to address PFAS in textiles. Safer States, Natural Resources Defense Council, Toxic-Free Future, and nine other environmental organizations from around the country recently sent letters to the major textile certifiers AFIRM, bluesign®, OEKO-TEX® and ZDHC, urging them to update their standards to address the entire class of PFAS. 

 

Today, NRDC, Fashion FWD, and U.S. PIRG Education Fund released a scorecard ranking PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) policy commitments from 30 popular retail and apparel brands, giving REI a failing ‘F’ grade for its incomplete commitment that excluded many PFAS (also known as “forever chemicals”). Conversely, competitor Patagonia earned a ‘B’—the highest grade of all the outdoor apparel brands surveyed—and is the only outdoor brand with a commitment to phase out all PFAS in all products by 2024.

 

New law makes Washington the first state in the nation to tackle PFAS in broad range of products such as apparel, cosmetics, and firefighter gear by 2025 OLYMPIA, WA—Today, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill (HB 1694) into law that will tackle PFAS “forever chemicals” in a broad range of products on the fastest timeline in the nation, […]