State senators in New York are celebrating the passage of two bills that would regulate toxic "forever" chemicals.
The bills would prohibit PFAS in consumer products like cookware, cleaning products, and dental floss and regulate and expand testing for PFAS discharged into New York’s lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
PFAS pollution can cause ill-health effects, including cancer.
State Sen. Rachel May, a Democrat from the 48th District, sponsored the bill meant to monitor discharge.
“The only way we can get these chemicals under control is if we know where they are and we know how much there is,” said May, whose district includes part of the Finger Lakes region.
PFAS contamination has been detected in water supplies in several upstate communities, including Poestenkill, Petersburgh, Hoosick Falls, and Newburgh.
The bills have yet to be voted on in the state Assembly.
Forever chemical monitoring efforts would establish disclosure requirements for industrial dischargers, industrial sources of wastewater, and publicly owned treatment works. More specifically, the oversight would require quarterly monitoring for a year for new permits issued. And, if toxins are detected, reporting would be required for the duration of the permit.
New York’s push to regulate PFAS discharge comes as the federal government is moving forward with a plan to scrap limits on several PFAS chemicals in drinking water. Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency previewed the move, saying it would leave PFOA and PFOS maximum contaminant levels of four-parts-per-trillion untouched and push back a deadline for drinking water systems to implement plans to address these chemicals. It would also eliminate limits on three other PFAS compounds, as well as a mixture of several chemicals. While the EPA under President Trump says the changes will allow for a "reasonable and flexible approach" to protect drinking water, advocates warn the rollbacks are dangerous to public health.
Assemblymember Grace Lee, a Democrat representing Lower Manhattan, is sponsoring legislation that would, among other moves, codify maximum contaminant levels at four-parts-per-trillion for PFOS and PFOA, and 10-parts-per-trillion for PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA.
New York already has drinking water contamination standards for PFOA and PFOS of 10-parts-per-trillion, but Lee says studies show that no level of exposure to these chemicals is without risk.
“We are we have seen now across the country that there is a movement to protect clean drinking water. Wisconsin and Maine have now passed stricter standards for drinking water and PFAs, and I believe that New York should do the same,” Lee says.
Last year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law that bans the sale of menstrual products containing certain toxic chemicals.
The Democrat also signed legislation that prohibits the sale of disposable and reusable products containing PFAS compounds, metals such as lead and mercury, and other potentially harmful substances.
State Sen. Pete Harckham is sponsoring a bill that would amend the state’s current environmental conservation law to phase out and later prohibit the sale of products that contain “regulated” or “intentionally added” PFAS. These include cleaning products, automotive products, protective medical equipment, and cookware.
“You all know the risks, but we've got to convince the rest of our colleagues that this is such a serious matter all throughout the chain, from inception to the products to the end-of-life cycle,” said Harckham, a Democrat representing New York’s 40th Senate District in the lower Hudson Valley. “You know, it all impacts, and we can't just address one. It's like Whack-a-Mole. We got to address it at every state.”
Caroline Barrett with Capital Cooks, says there are other options besides nonstick or Teflon-coated pans, which have to be used on low-to-medium heat to avoid toxic fumes. She says stainless steel or cast-iron cookware is the ticket. She says you just need to let it heat up.
“I always check to see if it's ready first and if you put a few drops of whatever your food is in there, and you get some action, like some sizzling, it smells like it's cooking then it's cooking,” Barrett said. “So, you'd like that sound. Is a good sound. You want that sizzling sound that's happy food sound.”
WAMC has reached out to several industry and manufacturing groups for comment on the proposed pieces of legislation.
