BOSTON, MA—On Monday the Massachusetts legislature enacted important legislation to protect firefighters from toxic PFAS chemicals. An Act relative to the reduction of certain toxic chemicals in firefighter personal protective equipment--now heads to Governor Healy for final action before it can become law. The bill bans the manufacture, sale, and distribution of PFAS-containing personal protective equipment, as of January 1, 2027 and requires manufacturers to disclose, at point of sale, whether protective equipment contains PFAS until the ban is in effect.
PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, a class of chemicals used in hundreds of products. In firefighter gear, PFAS are thermally stable and resist penetration of oil and water. PFAS are toxic at very low levels, and firefighters have high rates of cancers known to be caused by PFAS, including breast, kidney and testicular cancer.
“This ban is an enormously important first step in protecting Massachusetts Firefighters and their families from PFAS, but there is more to do to protect firefighters and the public,” said Laura Spark, Environmental Health Program Director for Clean Water Action.
Firefighters are also exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam. Twenty-six states have passed some restrictions on the use of PFAS-containing foam, and 12 states have banned the manufacture, sale, and use of PFAS-containing foam.
Massachusetts residents are also exposed to, and hurt by, PFAS. PFAS are used in hundreds of products and industrial processes, and they have contaminated water, soil, air, plants and animals throughout our state, including the drinking water at 171 public water systems.
“This is great news," said Deirdre Cummings, MASSPIRG’s Legislative Director. "Firefighters put their lives on the line to protect us in an emergency, and we must make sure the gear they wear will protect them.”
“This is a great day for our PFFM Membership in the fight against Occupational Cancer that continues to plague the Fire Service,” said Paul Jacques, Legislative Agent for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. “Thank you to the House and Senate Leadership as well as the entire Legislative body for passing this vital legislation to protect Firefighters all across the Commonwealth.”
"I commend the Massachusetts legislature for their decisive action," Ayesha Khan, Nantucket PFAS Action Group. "Together, we can work towards eliminating PFAS from products and creating a healthier, safer future for our communities. Khan is the wife of a firefighter and has seen firsthand the impacts of toxic chemicals on firefighters’ health."
PFAS are toxic at very low levels, acting on multiple organs in the body and contributing to increased rates of cancer, immunosuppression, and reproductive problems in the American public.
Two years ago, the Legislature’s PFAS Interagency Task Force issued a report stating: “The extent of PFAS contamination is vast, and the time to act is now.” While Massachusetts leaders have allocated millions to help local communities test for PFAS and install expensive treatment systems. These actions, as important as they are, tackle the symptoms of PFAS contamination. They don’t address the cause.
In the 2023-24 legislative session, An Act to protect Massachusetts public health from PFAS (H.4486) sponsored by Hogan and Cyr, would have banned PFAS in several categories of consumer products, prevented industrial discharges of PFAS to water, and set up a fund to help test and treat private wells and public water systems for PFAS. Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass by the time the formal session ended on July 31st.
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow coalition issued the following statement of appreciation for the legislators who made the passage of this important legislation possible:
"We thank Senators Michael Moore and Julian Cyr for working with the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts to introduce this important ban on PFAS in firefighter personal protective gear. We express deep appreciation to President Karen Spilka for bringing it to the floor, to all those who spoke in favor of it on the floor, and to the entire Senate for passing the bill unanimously.
We thank Representative Jim Hawkins for introducing the bill in the House and Speaker Pro Tempore Kate Hogan and Speaker of the House Ron Mariano for working to secure the support of House members that enabled passage in the house."
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The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow (AHT) is a coalition of individuals and organizations in Massachusetts working to prevent harm to human health and the environment from toxic chemicals. Founded in 2004, AHT is coordinated by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund in Massachusetts. www.healthytomorrow.org
Clean Water Action is a national 501(c)(4) environmental organization with nearly one million members nationwide. Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. www.cleanwater.org