Victory! The Comprehensive PFAS Ban Act of 2024
Clean Water Action fought for passage of legislation that will ban PFAS chemicals from a range of products we use every day *before* these toxins can contaminate our bodies and the environment.
The Consumer Product PFAS Ban Act of 2024, which passed with unanimous support in both the House and Senate and was signed by Governor McKee in June 2024, will ban the sale of certain items containing PFAS like juvenile products, carpets and rugs, cookware, cosmetics, fabric treatments, menstrual products, artificial turf, ski wax, and textiles. It also phases out the use of Class B firefighting foam containing PFAS, a major source of water contamination. PFAS are linked to numerous negative health impacts, including certain cancers.
This law will now protect our waterways and the health of Rhode Islanders, particularly children, from these toxic “forever chemicals.” We would like to extend our gratitude to Senators Meghan Kallman and Alana DiMario, Representatives Terri Cortvriend and June Speakman, and advocate Jed Thorp, the bill’s champions, for their tireless efforts to ensure that it passed.
The next step will be ensuring that the bill is implemented and is not weakened by industry lobbying efforts. Clean Water Action and our allies will continue to stay engaged in this process.
2022 Victories!
In 2022, Clean Water Action worked for two bills to protect our water and our health from PFAS. The first amended The Toxic Packaging Reduction Act to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food packaging that intentionally contains PFAS beginning in January 2025. The second required testing of all drinking water systems in the state for PFAS and required remediation at certain thresholds. Both laws protect Rhode Islanders from drinking and consuming these toxic chemicals.
What Are PFAS?
PFAS are a class of human-made chemicals that are incredibly persistent in the environment and also highly toxic. They have been linked to cancers, birth defects, and other health problems. We are exposed to PFAS through multiple sources. For some people, the main source of contamination is through drinking water. Drinking water can become contaminated with PFAS by fire fighting foam, the discarding of manufacturing and chemical waste, and landfill leachate.
But we are also exposed through the products we use and consume every day. Use in consumer products is common because PFAS adds a grease-, oil-, and water-resistance to materials that would otherwise not have that quality. Unfortunately, that means PFAS are found in a lot of different products including carpets, cosmetics, cookware, outdoor apparel, firefighting foam, stain-resistant treatments, and even juvenile products like baby bibs! This is why we need the Rhode Island General Assembly to take action! We need to reduce our exposure to PFAS in our homes and in our environment, with a focus on protecting young children. We can’t protect our waterways from these toxic “forever chemicals” if we continue to manufacture and consume products containing PFAS.
Mind the Store Campaign
Clean Water Action is working with our partners at Toxic-Free Future on the #MindTheStore campaign, pressuring retailers to phase out toxic PFAS from the products they sell.
We had a major victory in 2023: REI has announced that they will phase-out PFAS from the products they sell! Our members wrote postcards to REI, joined our staff and allies at REI locations, and sent emails and tweets calling on REI to ban PFAS.
We spoke. REI listened!
