On October 7, 2020, the Department of Ecology (DoE) for the US state of Washington announced the publication of a draft version of its Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Chemical Action Plan (CAP), which aims “to identify the potential health and environmental impacts of PFAS and to recommend actions to reduce or eliminate those impacts in Washington.” The plan focuses on a set of recommendations to address PFAS contamination in drinking water, environmental contamination in natural compartments and in wildlife, reduction of PFAS in products, and control of levels in waste streams. It specifically recommends requiring manufacturers to identify their products that contain PFAS, including amount, function, and hazard information.
In July 2020, the state announced a first set of priority products to address under its Safer Products for Washington program (FPF reported), and the CAP now calls for considering PFAS containing nonstick cookware and kitchen supplies (such as baking paper) in the selection of the program’s next set of priority products. The state has already passed a law that will come into force in 2022 to ban the sale, manufacture, and distribution of PFAS in food packaging (FPF reported).
The draft plan is open for public comment until January 4, 2021. The DoE will host an informational webinar on October 23, 2020 to present the plan, and a further set of webinars in November 2020 will be held to receive verbal public comments.
Read More
DoE (October 7, 2020). “Public comment: Draft Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Chemical Action Plan.”
DoE (October 7, 2020). “PFAS Chemical Action Plan.”
Jon Kelvey (October 14, 2020). “Washington state targets PFAS in multiple products in draft action plan.” Chemical Watch
Keller and Heckman LLP (November 16, 2020). “Washington State Draft Action Plan Recommends Reducing PFAS.”
Chemical Watch (November 17, 2020). “Washington state to hold public comment meetings on PFAS action plan.”
Chemical Watch (November 19, 2020). “Washington state extends time to comment on PFAS action plan.”
Reference
DoE (October 7, 2020). “Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Draft Chemical Action Plan.” (pdf)
