Extinguishing PFAS: Massachusetts is officially moving to phase out PFAS from firefighting gear. Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill yesterday that will ban the sale of any firefighting jackets, pants, shoes, gloves and helmets that contain the cancer-linked chemicals, beginning in 2027. Rich Mackinnon, the president of the Professional Firefighters Association of Massachusetts, says it’s the strongest law of its kind in the country. “This next generation of firefighters will save lives,” Mackinnon said during a press conference. “Their lives will be saved. Their families will not have to go through the diagnosis, treatment, and unfortunate death of cancer that many of them have already faced in the fire service and are facing today.”
- Why is PFAS in firefighting gear in the first place? The chemicals are good at making surfaces repel water, oil and grease — which had made them a popular choice for protective clothing. (Not only firefighting gear, but also certain rain jackets and leggings.)
- How does the new law work? Starting Jan. 1, 2025, anyone selling firefighting gear in Massachusetts will be required to provide a written notice if their product contains PFAS. Then in 2027, the law ratchets up to a total ban on selling or distributing firefighting gear with “intentionally added PFAS.”
- By the numbers: According to the International Association of Firefighters, cancer accounted for nearly two thirds of firefighter deaths between 2002 and 2019. (Though firefighters are exposed to many carcinogens as part of the job, advocates say PFAS are an oft-overlooked and unnecessary risk.)
- Go deeper: The PFAS bill’s history at the State House dates back to early 2023. Read more here about the people behind it.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/08/16/massachusetts-pfas-firefighter-gear-ban-newsletter
