New York must lead on banning dangerous PFASJane van Dis, Megan Wolff and Elizabeth Ryznar |
New York State has a habit of modeling smart and impactful legislation that protects both citizens and the market. It currently has an opportunity to do so again with A.7738A/S.9073A, which bans intentionally added PFAS in a range of the products we use at home every day. This public health measure has already received the thumbs-up from the Senate, and it is currently under consideration in the Assembly. Our hope is that it will withstand the swirl of disinformation intended to derail it.
The arguments are familiar: the products are safe, the science is uncertain and reform will hurt consumers. We have heard this before. The playbook is familiar because New York has seen it before. Tobacco companies used it against smoke-free air laws. Food industry groups used it against trans fat bans. Such arguments are as long-lived and damaging as PFAS itself.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are associated with cancer, immune suppression, thyroid disease, fertility problems, developmental harms, and metabolic dysfunction. They persist in the environment for decades (earning the moniker “forever chemicals”) and accumulate in our bodies over time. Nearly every American now carries PFAS in their blood (our pets have them, too).
Yet........