Opinion: Maine must continue battling PFAS

By Lori Gramlich and Rick Bennett | Portland Press Herald | February 10, 2024

Read the full article by Lori Gramlich and Rick Bennett (Portland Press Herald)

"In 2021, the Legislature passed groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation to ban all nonessential uses of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” in products used in Maine, with the goal of preventing further contamination across the state and protecting the health and environment of all Mainers.

L.D. 1503, which had unanimous support in committee and passed nearly unanimously in both the House and Senate, banned all nonessential uses of PFAS in Maine by 2030 and required companies that use PFAS in their products to report that information to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Unfortunately, key provisions of that law have recently come under attack by businesses and aligned opposition groups, who are arguing that the reporting requirement places too big of a burden on them. But now is not the time for Maine to backtrack on the nation-leading progress we’ve made – we must reaffirm our commitment to addressing the emerging PFAS crisis and the health risks it poses to us all."