Maine becomes world's first government to ban forever chemicals

[eShirl]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/15/maine-law-pfas-forever-chemicals-ban

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Maine has enacted a groundbreaking law that will ban the use of toxic PFAS compounds in all products by 2030, except in instances deemed “currently unavoidable”.

Though states and the federal government have passed piecemeal laws regulating the dangerous chemicals’ use, Maine is the nation’s first state and world’s first government to enact a broad prohibition on the class of about 9,000 compounds, which are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they don’t fully break down and accumulate in the environment and humans.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are typically used to make products water and stain resistant. They’re so effective that they’re now used across dozens of industries and added to a wide range of products, including food packaging, cosmetics, cookware, waterproof textiles, guitar strings, dental floss, firefighting foam and stain protectors like Scotchgard that is commonly applied to carpet and furniture.

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The law requires manufacturers that intentionally add PFAS to products sold in Maine to report their use to the Maine department of environmental quality beginning in 2023. The state will determine which uses are deemed “currently unavoidable,” which could allow the chemicals to remain in items like medical devices.

[Scrivener7]

1. I keep reading good things about Maine. A nice change after La Page's years.