Maine ban on PFAS-laden products moves forward

After a years-long delay, a state ban on some products containing harmful “forever products” may move forward.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection recently proposed rules that would gradually outlaw the sale of consumer goods with intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

The family of chemicals has been used in a wide array of industries for decades. But there are recent heightened concerns about the chemicals’ harm to human health and the environment.

Under the rules nine categories of products including cleaners, cosmetics, cookware, textiles and ski wax would be banned in 2026.

That prohibition would extend to most goods in 2032. Cooling, heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment would be banned eight years later.

Kerri Farris, manager of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s Safer Chemicals Program, said companies should have plenty of time to find substitutions and average consumers likely won’t notice a change.

“We’re hopefully that the market has already started shifting to alternatives to PFAS and removing it from their products,” Farris said.

Maine passed a law that made producers report goods with PFAS and ban some items in 2021. But rulemaking to implement the law stalled as lawmakers amended its provisions.

The proposed rule is also in line with similar state bans including in Minnesota and California, Farris said.

“The Legislature has given us the directive to implement these sales prohibitions with the hope that we can remove these sources of PFAS,” Farris added.

Under the proposal, producers can get a five-year exemption to the rules if they can prove that PFAS is essential to their product and there is no alternative.

The suggested rules will be subject to a public hearing in January. The DEP hopes to enact a final rule next spring.

This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.