CA legislature turning off tap on PFAS ‘forever’ chemicals

By Avinash Kar | Natural Resources Defense Council | September 14, 2022

Read the full article by Avinash Kar (Natural Resources Defense Council)

“The end of the legislative session in California brought welcome news on PFAS, a class of toxic ‘forever’ chemicals consisting of 12,000+ chemicals. Several pieces of legislation addressing this toxic and persistent class of chemicals moved forward.

PFAS contaminate drinking water across the state and country, particularly in disadvantaged communities; are showing up in rainwater and sea spray; and are found in the bodies of virtually all people living in the US. They are associated with myriad health effects, including cancer, liver and kidney damage, and suppressed immunity, including interference with the effectiveness of vaccines. Not surprisingly, Californians across the spectrum overwhelmingly support getting PFAS out of everyday products like clothes and textiles.

The California Legislature is delivering for its residents. The Legislature passed several bills to eliminate unnecessary uses of PFAS in products (including clothes and textiles and cosmetics) and to create greater information and transparency on the presence of PFAS in products and industrial processes. These bills are now on the Governor’s desk. The Legislature also provided funding for improved testing and the development of health-based standards for PFAS in drinking water. These efforts put California at the forefront of state and national actions across the country to address PFAS pollution and protect residents in the absence of comprehensive national action and can even help transform the national market when it comes to the use of PFAS.”

This content provided by the PFAS Project.