Washington State Lawmakers Vote to Toughen PFAS Foam Regulation

Washington state lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to tighten regulations on a family of chemicals that persist in the environment and are thought to cause a range of human health problems.

The measure (HB 2265) would expand restrictions set in 2018 on the manufacture, sale and distribution of firefighting foam that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to further restrict the use of such foam in chemical plants, oil refineries, and oil terminals beginning in 2024.

PFAS chemicals have been used to make nonstick and stain-resistant coatings in clothing, fast-food wrappers, carpets, and other consumer and industrial ...