Senate seeks ban on toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in government purchasing
Breccan F. Thies
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A bipartisan group of senators is looking to stop the government’s purchase of products containing toxic “forever chemicals” that contaminate drinking water and are linked to a variety of illnesses.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI), as well as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), introduced a bill that would extend the Department of Defense’s prohibition on purchasing the chemicals, known as PFAS, to all government agencies.
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The PFAS-Free Procurement Act, which blocks executive agency heads from entering contracts to purchase items such as cookware, utensils, carpets, or furniture that contain the chemicals, is being considered by the full committee Wednesday afternoon. The legislation would also require agency heads to prioritize PFAS-free products in all procurement where possible.
“PFAS substances that are found in everyday items continue to threaten the health and safety of our communities,” Peters said in a press release. “This bill will set the federal government on a path to a PFAS-free future, and help protect the Michiganders and Americans who rely on federal facilities for critical services from unnecessary exposure to these toxic chemicals.”
The “forever chemicals” are known as such because they are extremely resilient to deterioration and remain in the environment and human body for an extremely long period of time. They were created to resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water and are often colorless, odorless, and tasteless. They are found in products such as nonstick coatings on pots and pans, adhesives, and food packaging like pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags.
PFAS have been linked to a wide variety of illnesses, including adverse effects on human growth, development, and reproduction, including birth defects and preeclampsia, as well as thyroid function, testicular cancer, liver damage, and the immune system.
Often these chemicals can contaminate groundwater and municipal water supplies, which the U.S. Geological Survey recently estimated are found in nearly half of all U.S. tap water.
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The effort from the senators, and the findings from USGS, come as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new rule to monitor and filter six different kinds of PFAS out of public water supplies.
“This legislation is an important step to help protect our communities from harmful chemicals and to make certain our families and loved ones remain safe from dangerous toxins,” Moran said.