ASSOCIATED PRESS • July 18, 2021
A bill requiring manufacturers to report their use of a class of toxic chemicals and phase them out by 2030 is now the law in Maine. The law that took effect Thursday was one of several legislative proposals to address contamination by so-called PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have long been used in a variety of consumer products. The chemicals are turning up in well water across the state at levels 300 to 400 times higher than the federal health advisory level. Dr. Lani Graham, a former chief public health officer for Maine, said, “Stopping the distribution of these chemicals into the Maine environment is critical.”