Boy celebrates the downfall of harmful PFAS definition
Two weeks ago, the Senate Committee on Environmental Affairs did not call down House Bill 1399, a bill that sought to define three chemicals used in manufacturing in Indiana, known as PFAS, into a section of Indiana law. Since HB 1399 was not granted a committee hearing, it was effectively dead. Due to an arcane process that allows language that passed out of one Chamber, but failed in the other, to be brought back during final negotiations. The provision in HB 1399 was added into House Bill 1329 yesterday. Less than 48 hours later, the language was removed and the chemical companies' PFAS carve-out is not moving forward.
State Rep. Pat Boy (D-Michigan City) released the following statement:
“To make it perfectly clear, there are no PFAS chemicals truly of ‘low concern'. All PFAS chemicals are or will become toxic, and they pose serious risks to our health and environmental well-being. This year, House Republicans attempted to pass a legal definition that designates only three forms of the chemicals known as PFAS. These three forms are non-polymeric, the smallest molecules, which are the most easily absorbed.
“The Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, an agency of the CDC, has determined that PFAS can migrate into soil, water, and air. The action of these smaller, non-polymeric PFAS molecules are the most easily ingested by animals and humans. They have been found in fish, whales, and us – humans. Other polymeric PFAS are much larger molecules and are often created by the smaller non-polymeric molecules. Some are used in baby mats, car seats, snack packaging, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant carpeting, some non-stick cookware, and other products. But after use, or laundering, or vacuuming, these larger particles eventually break down through microbial or environmental action, becoming the smaller non-polymer molecules once again.
“Studies have revealed that exposure to PFAS may result in altered immune and thyroid function, liver and insulin dysregulation, kidney disease, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes, and cancer. There is still much unknown about the effects of PFAS since most have yet to be tested. These chemicals act the way microplastics do, persisting in our bodies and the environment virtually forever – thus the name, ‘forever chemicals.’
“I'm happy that the original bill died, and that they failed to add this language to yet another bill. This definition will not be codified in Indiana law. If they had only stated that the three chemicals were a necessity for essential products, there would have been no law needed because we had no standard definition for PFAS, but they went at it from the wrong perspective.”