The spread of nonstick PFAS chemicals has precipitated a public health and environmental crisis. PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds) are used in a multitude of consumer products, including water-repellent fabrics, nonstick cookware such as Teflon, carpet and upholstery, some food packaging, and firefighting foam.
Exposure to PFAS chemicals can happen during product use or as PFAS accumulate in house dust and are released into indoor air. Because PFAS do not break down in the environment, they are known as “forever chemicals,” and are in the blood of virtually all Americans, including newborn babies. Studies show that long-term exposure of very low concentrations of PFAS have been associated with thyroid disease, weakened immunity, infertility risks, and certain cancers.
Water contamination is of particular concern as up to 110 million, or 1 in 3, people across the United States may be drinking water with toxic PFAS chemicals. In Washington, concentrations of PFAS above EPA’s health advisory level have been detected in drinking water in Issaquah, Coupeville, Airway Heights, the city of Dupont, and residential areas of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. PFAS have also been detected in groundwater in the Puget Sound Basin and in surface waters.
Communities and creation, including resident orcas, are feeling the harmful impacts of these chemicals. As people of faith, we are called to act for justice and ensure that policy makers at the state and national level put strong standards for PFAS in place and to also clean up contaminated sites.
For more information, check out this article on “Common questions about PFAS, answered.“
Help Washington Lead on PFAS
The good news is that Washington is a leader addressing toxic PFAS chemicals. Thanks to your faithful advocacy in 2018, Washington became the first state in the nation to ban PFAS in food packaging! Earth Ministry/WAIPL helped pass this bill, and we’re now following the Department of Ecology’s implementation of the law and advocating to get PFAS out of all types of food packaging in our state as soon as possible (see below).
Washington’s Department of Ecology is also working to implement SSB 5135, the Pollution Prevention for Our Future Act (now known as the Safer Products for Washington act), which the faith community helped pass in the 2019 state legislative session. This new law requires Ecology to identify priority consumer products that contain PFAS and four other highly toxic chemicals and then adopt regulatory measures to reduce exposure. Earth Ministry/WAIPL is urging the department to address all forms of PFAS as a class of chemicals and phase out PFAS in products where safer alternatives are available, such as carpet and upholstery.
In addition, the Departments of Ecology and Health are developing a joint chemical action plan for PFAS (see below). The Board of Health also began rulemaking for PFAS in drinking water in 2017 (see below).
People of faith will have opportunities to make our voices heard in these public comment processes – stay tuned for more information from Earth Ministry/WAIPL. Together we will remind policymakers that PFAS contamination affects real families in Washington whom they have a moral obligation to protect.
Click here to download Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s factsheet on PFAS
PFAS in Food Packaging
You may recall that in 2018 Earth Ministry/WAIPL helped pass a bill to ban food packaging containing toxic PFAS chemicals. Faithful advocates like you spoke out for the health of our communities and the environment in advocating for strong protections from PFAS – thank you!
The Department of Ecology is now implementing that law by conducting a series of “alternatives assessments” before retailers are required to stop using food packaging with PFAS. Unfortunately, this process is slow going. Ecology just finished their first PFAS food packaging alternatives assessment. The result will ban PFAS in wraps and liners, plates, food bowls, and pizza boxes in 2023 – but there are six other product categories that will not yet be regulated.
Ecology accepted comments on the scope of their second PFAS alternatives assessment through June 30, 2021. Over 130 people of faith submitted comments to tell the Department of Ecology that getting these toxic chemicals out of our food packaging is important to faith communities and in alignment with our value of environmental justice. Not only does PFAS in food packaging pose health risks for consumers, it is also a serious environmental justice concern for the communities in which these chemicals are manufactured.
In July 2021 the Dept. of Ecology announced that they would be speeding up the timeline for the 2nd PFAS in food packaging alternatives assessment as a direct result of the Earth Ministry/WAIPL community speaking out. The 2nd alternatives assessment will now be published by the end of 2021 instead of by mid-2022!
Thank you for joining Earth Ministry/WAIPL in this faithful advocacy for safer food packaging across Washington!
WA PFAS Chemical Action Plan
Earth Ministry/WAIPL is also focused on ensuring our state has the strongest possible Chemical Action Plan (CAP) in place for PFAS. The Washington State Department of Ecology published the revised draft PFAS CAP and collected public comments through January 22, 2021.
To learn more, watch this recorded Earth Ministry/WAIPL webinar on faithful advocacy on PFAS chemicals.
Thanks for advocating for PFAS Drinking Water Standards!
Washington’s Department of Health has set statewide standards for toxic PFAS chemicals in our drinking water. Read more about the process of setting these standards here.
PFAS News & Events
Earth Ministry/WAIPL Attends Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act Bill Signing in Olympia
Recapping the 2023 Washington State Legislative Session
WA State Bans PFAS in More Types of Food Packaging
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