Read the full article by Kristi Marohn (MPR News)
“After the Minnesota Legislature passed a ban on so-called ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging last year, a DFL lawmaker wants to extend the ban on PFAS to more consumer products — cosmetics, cookware and ski wax.
The bills, authored by Rep. Ami Wazlawik of White Bear Township, Minn., cleared their first hurdle in the state House last week.
The large class of chemicals — PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are known for their durability. They’ve been found in the environment, wildlife and humans around the globe.
Studies have linked some PFAS to human health issues, including kidney and thyroid problems and some cancers.
Wazlawik told the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee that her bills would help eliminate nonessential uses of PFAS that risk human exposure.
‘PFAS is a persistent chemical,’ Wazlawik said. ‘It gets into the bloodstream, it stays there and accumulates. There’s also the additional risk of environmental contamination associated with the manufacture and disposal of these products, which could affect many more people.’