Read the full article by Evan Popp (Maine Beacon)
“Advocates at the forefront of the fight against toxic substances in Maine are pushing back against a recent letter from over 50 industry groups, including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, requesting that the Mills administration delay implementation of a law requiring companies to provide information on products that contain PFAS beginning in 2023.
The letter, obtained by Beacon, was sent to Gov. Janet Mills and Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Melanie Loyzim on July 7 and pertains to a law enacted in July of 2021. That measure requires manufacturers of goods sold in Maine that have ‘intentionally added PFAS’ to notify the state and submit a report that includes the amount of PFAS the product contains and a variety of other information about the product. The law will also eventually bar the selling of goods that have intentionally added PFAS beginning in 2030.
…
The letter to the Mills administration about the 2023 requirement was primarily signed by national industry groups like the American Chemistry Council, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and Association of Equipment Manufacturers. However, several local signers — such as the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, TC Hafford Basement Systems, and Weather Seal Spray Foam Solutions Inc. — also support delaying PFAS reporting requirements.
In the letter, the groups argue that the law going into effect in 2023 will have a broad impact on nearly every sector of the economy that ‘relies on PFAS chemistries for the reliable and safe function of a variety of products important for industry and consumers.’ The organizations claim that a delay in rulemaking around the law will make it difficult for manufacturers to comply with the reporting regulation by January of 2023 and that companies ‘have little knowledge of what information is required and how to comply with a broad mandate.'” …