Banning PFAS in Apparel & Creating Air Quality Standards

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]

[link removed]

Two More Bills Pass the State Legislature Thanks to Our JustGreen Partnership
One Bans PFAS in Apparel and the Other Creates Air Quality Standards for Toxic Pollutants

Working with our colleagues in the JustGreen Partnership ([link removed]) , a statewide coalition co-chaired by WE ACT and Albany-based Clean and Health New York ([link removed]) , we managed to get two additional bills passed by the New York State legislature before the session ended.

PFAS in Apparel
The PFAS in Apparel bill (S.6291A/ ([link removed]) A.7063A ([link removed]) ) will ban PFAS from certain types of clothing and apparel. As you may recall from when we helped ban PFAS in Food Packaging ([link removed]) here in New York State back in 2020, PFAS ([link removed]) are a group of manmade chemicals that have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and a huge list of reproductive health issues. They are known as “forever chemicals” because they are difficult to break down and tend to last for a very long time – in the soil, in our water, and in our bodies.

We worked to advance this legislation because people of color and low-income are exposed to disproportionate levels of PFAS as a result of proximity to sites where they are manufactured and frequently used, like airports, along with certain end uses such as food wrappers. On top of that, people in these communities are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals and other forms of pollution in general, increasing the cumulative impacts these chemicals have on their health.

We are grateful to Senator Brad Hoylman (D27) and Assembly Member Patricia Fahy (D109) for sponsoring this legislation as well as our colleagues at the JustGreen Partnership for helping get it through the state legislature.

“Given the proliferation of PFAS, and the disproportionate exposure communities of color face, keeping it out of our clothing is critical,” explained Sonal Jessel, MPH, Director of Policy at WE ACT for Environmental Justice and Co-Chair of the JustGreen Partnership. “PFAS in clothing and other apparel can produce direct, long-term contact with our skin, which can dramatically increase exposure and the corresponding health impacts. That is why we need Governor Hochul to sign this into law.”

Clearing the Toxic Air
Another bill the JustGreen Partnership championed through the legislature is the Clearing the Toxic Air Act (S.4371D ([link removed]) /A.6150B ([link removed]) ). This bill will create air quality standards for toxic contaminants that cause cancer, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color which face disproportionate amounts of pollution from all sources, and establish a community benefit fund supporting beneficial projects in these communities.

The seven toxic air pollutants that will be monitored under this act are benzene, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, trichioroethylene, and mercury. The bill will also require major sources of toxic air pollutants located in or near environmental justice communities to install fence-line monitoring systems for these pollutants.

We thank Senator Alessandra Biaggi (D34) and Assembly Member Amanda Septimo (D84) for sponsoring this legislation as well as our colleagues at the JustGreen Partnership. And we urge Governor Hochul to sign this bill into law as well.

For a complete list of our legislative priorities, download our 2022 Policy Agenda here ([link removed]) (PDF). And to support our work, we invite you to make a donation here ([link removed]) .

Support WE ACT's Work ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]

============================================================
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
Copyright © 2020, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])