News & Insights: Washington

The year 2022 was a pivotal year where numerous states took significant action to safeguard human and environmental health from toxic chemicals and pushed toward a system based on safer chemicals and materials. Given the urgency of the PFAS chemical crisis contaminating drinking water across the country, states drove an ambitious agenda, pushing for class-based restriction of toxic chemicals, transparency about what chemicals are in what products, holding polluters accountable, preventing false solutions, and investing in cleanup.

This week, REI members take to the streets of REI stores nationwide demanding that outdoor retailer REI set a clear timeline to eliminate toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) as part of a year-long national campaign led by Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program, Safer States, and partners. Spanning 12 cities in 11 states, REI customers will deliver a petition with more than 130,000 signatures to REI’s flagship stores in their hometown of Seattle and in Manhattan demanding action on PFAS “forever chemicals.”

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 […]

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, […]

What a year! In 2021 states have once again stepped up and created incentives for safer chemistries, materials as well as protections from toxic chemicals. Using PFAS as a way to highlight the problem, states drove a big toxics agenda including pushing for a class-based restriction of toxic chemicals, transparency about what chemicals are in what products, and identification of safer materials and processes. 

The new book “Count Down” by environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna Swan crystallizes just how dangerous endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as phthalates and bisphenols, are to human reproductive health – and even pose a threat to the potential survival of the human species. States have been leading the charge to combat these harmful chemicals.

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Congress is considering provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act to protect citizens from toxic PFAS chemicals.

Thanks to the hard work of advocates all around the country, states are once again adopting much needed policies to protect their citizens from dangerous toxic chemicals.

States Should Move Quickly to Adopt Bans on Toxic Firefighting Foams Today Congress directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow airports to use firefighting foam free of highly fluorinated chemicals or PFAS. PFAS-containing firefighting foam is responsible for the contamination of drinking water of millions of Americans across the country. If signed into law, […]