Two Rhode Island lawmakers have introduced legislation that would ban the use of PFAS chemicals in many consumer products, including nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets.
Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Meghan Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence) and state Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) would require the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to prioritize which products containing PFAS should be banned first.
“PFAS are called forever chemicals for a reason,” said Senator Kallman. “Without legislative action, we will continue to pump these harmful substances into our water, food, and homes, where they will remain forever, sickening our communities just to pad the profits of plastics companies.”
“Virtually every American has PFAS in their blood, absorbing it through the water they drink, their clothes and their nonstick pans,” said Representative Cortvriend. “With the exception of firefighting foam, this bill is purposely limited to consumer goods. We know that alternatives to PFAS exist and the goal of this bill is to require manufacturers to adopt those safer alternatives in their manufacturing processes.”
The legislation would ban the addition of PFAS to most products sold or manufactured in Rhode Island by Jan. 1, 2027, and would ban all uses of almost all PFAS by Dec. 31, 2032. Some exceptions would be made for products containing PFAS that are essential to the health, safety, or functioning of society, or for which safer alternatives are not feasible.
This legislation was heard in the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee Wednesday and the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee Thursday.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.