Summary

This bill amends the environmental conservation law to phase out the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in certain products.

Explanation

This bill phases out toxic PFAS chemicals in a range of consumer and household products. With PFAS-free alternatives for these products already on the market, this bill will protect New Yorkers’ health and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars without impacting product availability.

PFAS are a class of over 12,000 chemicals which have been used for decades in a wide array of industrial processes and consumer products. PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment, build up in the human body, and are linked to a long list of harmful health effects, including thyroid disease, kidney cancer, and preeclampsia. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to at least some PFAS chemicals.

New York has been an epicenter of PFAS pollution, with significant drinking water contamination crises in Hoosick Falls, Newburgh, and across Long Island. Over 250 water utilities have exceeded New York’s current drinking water limits on two PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS), and another 300 water utilities are expected to exceed lower and most-health-protective limits just set by EPA. As New York takes action to get toxic PFAS out of our drinking water, it defies logic to continue putting these forever chemicals into products and allowing further contamination of our environment.

This bill turns off the tap on PFAS by phasing out these chemicals in textiles, rugs, fabric treatments, ski waxes, architectural paints, cleaning products, and dental floss. By preventing contamination from happening in the first place, this bill will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in environmental cleanup and heathcare costs. With states like Minnesota, Vermont, Colorado, and others already banning or in the process of banning the use of PFAS in these products, it is time for New York to follow suit.

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