Read the full article by Alex Baumhardt (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
“Efforts to get harmful ‘forever chemicals’ out of firefighting foam used in Oregon are closer to being realized.
The state Senate voted nearly unanimously Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 91 and ban perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from firefighting foam used on the ground by firefighters. A vote in the House of Representatives has not yet been scheduled, but if passed, it would make Oregon the 16th state to essentially outlaw PFAS-laden firefighting foam.
PFAS are human-made chemical chains that do not break down or go away naturally but instead have for decades leached into rivers and streams and contaminated water supplies. Theyare thought to now be in the blood of everyone in the U.S., according to research and testing from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” …