Bloomberg Law
March 27, 2018, 6:30 PM

Washington to Be First State to Ban Firefighting Foam Chemical

Paul Shukovsky
Paul Shukovsky
Staff Correspondent

Washington will be the first state to ban certain toxic chemicals in firefighting foams linked to a range of health problems when Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signs the ban into law late March 27.

The ban on perfluorinated compounds—collectively called PFAS chemicals—will start July 1, 2020. PFAS chemicals are known to persist in the environment and are linked to a wide range of health problems including liver toxicity, hormone disruption, and tumors, according to a state Department of Health draft report.

Some ...