Clean Water Action is fighting to protect our waterways, and our bodies, from toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Thanks to the efforts of our members and allies, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed two bills to protect Rhode Islanders from toxic PFAS in the 2022 session including a ban on the use of PFAS in food packaging. Now, the next step is a comprehensive ban on toxic PFAS in a wider range of products, so that RI can join the nationwide momentum to phase out these toxic "forever chemicals."
Take action to protect Rhode Island families from toxic PFAS 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.
2024 RI PFAS Legislation
Clean Water Action is supporting 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 Comprehensive PFAS Ban Act of 2024 (S2152/H7356)
- Phases out the sale of residential carpets or rugs, fabric treatments, cosmetics, cookware, juvenile products, apparel, menstrual products, and artificial turf that contain intentionally added PFAS.
- Phases out the use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam, which is a leading source of PFAS contamination, and moves the state towards phasing out firefighting personal protective equipment that contains PFAS, so we can protect first responders and our groundwater.
- Requires that the presence of PFAS be publicly disclosed in any product not covered by the ban.
Write your state legislators urging them to support this bill. We have a sample message ready for you to sign!
Factsheet: Rhode Island 2024 Comprehensive PFAS Ban Act
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!
