WALL STREET JOURNAL • January 12, 2023
New state laws banning products with “forever chemicals”—from carpets and fast-food wrappers to ski wax—are taking effect as momentum grows nationally to get rid of substances that accumulate in human bodies and are linked to serious health problems. As of this month, Maine has banned the sale of residential carpets with long-lasting chemicals known as PFAS and became the first state to require companies to report products that contain the chemicals. “We have a moral obligation to do everything we can to protect Mainers from the toxics associated with this forever chemical,” said state Rep. Lori Gramlich, a Democrat who sponsored three PFAS bills that passed with support from Republicans. Maine has taken the lead on regulating PFAS, which have been found to contaminate many of the state’s farms.