Read the full article by Barbara Moran (WBUR).
“State lawmakers are once again considering sweeping bills to ban toxic PFAS chemicals in food packaging, cookware, firefighting foam and other products.
More than a dozen states have outlawed PFAS chemicals in certain consumer products. But some trade groups worry that a wide-ranging Massachusetts law could be expensive for small businesses and difficult to implement.
Because PFAS molecules don’t break down easily in the environment or the body, they’re often called ‘forever chemicals.’ Research has linked them to health problems including increased risk of some cancers.
‘The evidence is overwhelming that these are harmful chemicals,’ said Laurel Schaider, a senior scientist at the Silent Spring Institute who has studied the health effects of PFAS for more than a decade. ’The bill goes a long way to addressing existing PFAS contamination and to turning off the tap on future contamination.'”…