[Press Release] Scientists Successfully Head Off Concerning PFAS Bill

February 26, 2024

Read the full article by the Green Science Policy Institute

"The Indiana State Senate tabled legislation today that would have significantly narrowed the scope of which fluorinated chemicals are considered per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” in the state. This comes after leading scientists who study PFAS testified in committee hearings that the proposed definition was not scientifically sound. Adding weight to their objection was a consensus statement signed by more than 150 scientists clarifying the need for accurate and thorough PFAS definitions that government agencies and legislatures should use.

“This public health victory shows what happens when scientists contribute their expertise to the policymaking process,” said Marta Venier, an environmental chemist at Indiana University who testified in the hearings. “The whittled-down definition of PFAS proposed was not only scientifically inaccurate, but it would have set a harmful precedent that other states and governments could adopt.”

“I’ve studied PFAS in my lab for a decade, and I’ve never met a good PFAS,” said Graham Peaslee, a professor at the University of Notre Dame who also testified. “Cleaning up contamination can take decades to centuries or more. This bill would have been a mistake that the state cannot afford, both in terms of remediation costs and damage to the health and wellbeing of Hoosiers.”