Read the full article by Chemical Watch (Chemical Watch)
“New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed off on technical amendments to the state’s recently adopted law restricting the use of firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).
The newly signed bill (S 7167) expands the exemptions for when aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) can be used to include fires involving ignitable, not just flammable, liquids. Where the state’s Office of Fire Prevention and Control exempts the use of a class B firefighting foam, the law directs the office to determine every two years if there is an available alternative.
The changes amend PFAS restrictions signed into law in December. That bill (S 439A) immediately banned the use of PFAS-containing class B firefighting foams for training purposes, and set a prohibition on their manufacture, sale or distribution to start within two years.
Washington state, the first of several US states to act on PFAS-containing foams, also recently updated its law. However, in contrast to New York, it adopted changes to eliminate existing exemptions. Changes signed into law in March will phase out by 2024 exceptions for the continued manufacture, sale and distribution of the foams for use in chemical plants, oil refineries and oil terminals, unless a waiver is secured…”