Latest news with #SenateBill91
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Governor signs ban on dangerous chemical used for decades in first responder jobs: 'Something has to change'
Oregon's governor, Tina Kotek, approved a ban on firefighting foam that contains forever chemicals. As Environment America reported, Kotek made Oregon the 16th state in the U.S. to ban perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in firefighting missions. She signed Senate Bill 91 into law at the request of the state Senate Interim Committee on Energy and Environment. This firefighting foam ban is good news because experts have linked PFAS to many health and environmental issues. The ban will protect firefighters from toxic chemical exposure as they risk their lives to save others. These substances are called forever chemicals because they don't break down in the human body or in natural environments. Even small amounts of exposure to them can lead to serious health conditions, including cancer, birth defects, organ damage, and developmental delays. Fortunately, many states have been working to pass laws to reduce exposure to forever chemicals. Because of the growing body of research connecting PFAS to health risks, lawmakers have proposed banning them from hospital equipment and common household products. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a ban on a commonly used, toxic solvent called N-Methylpyrrolidone because of its health risks. As new laws are gradually implemented to keep forever chemicals out of everyday life, you can protect yourself by reading product labels and avoiding plastic products. For example, you can choose plastic-free alternatives for the products you use and support brands that use plastic-free packaging. The Statesman Journal reported state Rep. Courtney Neron as saying: "When our first responders are getting sick from the very tools meant to keep us safe, something has to change. Safer alternatives are already being used by the military, at Oregon airports and fire stations in numerous states across the country." Celeste Meiffren-Swango, state director of Environment Oregon, thanked Kotek and the Oregon legislature for eliminating PFAS-laden firefighting foam to protect firefighters. "Together, we can keep working to eliminate PFAS from consumer products and help build a cleaner, greener, safer future in Oregon," she said, per Environment America. Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly Sometimes Not really I don't know enough about them Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State updates hazardous substances list to include harmful forever chemicals, begins rulemaking
Firefighting foam 'unintentionally released' in an aircraft hangar at Travis Air Force Base in California on Sept. 24, 2013. Firefighting foam contains PFAS or "forever chemicals" that have gotten into the environment and groundwater. Oregon and other states are required to test for the contaminants during the next two years under guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Ken Wright/U.S. Air Force) Oregon's list of regulated hazardous substances is getting its first update in nearly two decades with the addition of six 'forever chemicals' known to harm human health. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Tuesday announced it would add six perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to the state's list of more than 800 regulated contaminants and begin creating regulations to limit Oregonians' exposure to them. 'We need this rulemaking to hold parties responsible for contamination and to address that contamination,' said Sarah Van Glubt, a manager in DEQ's environmental cleanup program who is leading the rulemaking. 'Otherwise, right now, everything is voluntary. We can't require parties to test and treat for these chemicals.'. The Environmental Quality Commission is expected to vote on adding the chemicals to the state's list and adopting new regulations on or after May 21. Email comments to: PFAS2025@ Join a public hearing on April 22 at 11 a.m. here or 6 p.m. here PFAS are human-made chemical chains used in products such as flame retardants, nonstick cookware and waterproof clothing that do not break down or go away naturally but instead have for decades leached into rivers and streams and contaminated soil, water and even air. They are thought to now be in the blood of everyone in the U.S., according to research and testing from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and can lead to increased risks for cancers, heart damage, high cholesterol and birth defects, among other adverse health effects. Suspected sources of past or ongoing PFAS pollution in Oregon include 139 commercial airports that are or were required to maintain PFAS-containing firefighting foam on site, as well as 18 municipal fire training facilities near 20 of the most populous cities in the state, according to rulemaking documents from DEQ. Officials at Portland International Airport began testing for PFAS in 2017 in and around a firefighter training ground there used by the Air National Guard. They identified PFAS contamination adjacent to the nearby Columbia Slough and found PFAS-impaired fish and aquatic species. They've since switched to using PFAS-free firefighting foam and have begun initial stages of cleanup. Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill — Senate Bill 91 — that would ban PFAS from firefighting foam used on the ground by firefighters. The Oregon Senate voted to pass the bill nearly unanimously in February, but a vote in the House has not yet been scheduled. Other sites to potentially test for PFAS contamination include 22 bulk fuel facilities and 93 metal plating facilities in Oregon. In 2024, the U.S. Envionmental Protection Agency added several PFAS to the federal list of regulated hazardous substances, and mandated states begin testing for them in drinking water systems. The Oregon Health Authority has identified PFAS in 35 Oregon public drinking water systems, with 24 of those exceeding the EPA's new drinking water standards for the compounds. The state has until April 2026 to adopt the federal agency's new PFAS standards and public water systems have until April 2029 to comply with those standards. DEQ's new regulations would apply to PFAS pollution in rivers, lakes, soil and groundwater but would not address potential contamination released through the air, such as when biosolids and sewage sludge containing PFAS are burned, releasing PFAS into the air, or potential PFAS contamination from those biosolids being spread on farm fields as fertilizer. Biosolids filtered from Portland's sewer and wastewater get heated and dried out in anaerobic digestors and sent to farms in eastern Oregon as fertilizer. The department doesn't test those biosolids, which likely contain PFAS. Department spokesman Antony Sparrow said the EPA is developing a risk assessment for sewage sludge that will inform future state regulations. Van Glubt said the department is working on a strategic plan that would combine the work of DEQ's air, water, biosolids and other teams, as well as work being done at other agencies, to deal with ongoing PFAS issues. 'This rule making really is just addressing one piece of the puzzle,' she said. 'There are other issues at play with PFAS that will need to be addressed.'. Oregon's hazardous substances list was last updated in 2006, when environmental regulators added methane to the list. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oregon Senate votes to ban toxic ‘forever chemicals' in firefighting foam
Firefighting foam, used at airports and military bases, has been identified as a source of toxic PFAS chemicals. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fire Administration) Efforts to get harmful 'forever chemicals' out of firefighting foam used in Oregon are closer to being realized. The state Senate voted nearly unanimously Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 91 and ban perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from firefighting foam used on the ground by firefighters. A vote in the House of Representatives has not yet been scheduled, but if passed, it would make Oregon the 16th state to essentially outlaw PFAS-laden firefighting foam. PFAS are human-made chemical chains that do not break down or go away naturally but instead have for decades leached into rivers and streams and contaminated water supplies. Theyare thought to now be in the blood of everyone in the U.S., according to research and testing from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chemicals have long been used in flame retardants, non-stick cookware and other products, and are known or suspected by the EPA to be harmful when consumption or exposure persists over long periods. They can lead to increased risks for cancers and birth defects, among other effects. Under Senate Bill 91, fire departments would have until July 1, 2026 to phase out foams that contain PFAS, and find alternative ones that do not contain PFAS. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, who said in a news release that fire stations in her district have already phased out their use of flame retardants that contain PFAS. Oregon was the first state to direct all airports to phase out a common PFAS-laden foam, AFFF foam, which has largely been replaced by a non-PFAS containing foam called P3, according to Karl Koenig, president of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association. Officials from the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office told lawmakers they are not aware of any use of firefighting foam with PFAS among the fire departments they coordinate with and officials of the Oregon Department of Forestry told lawmakers they do not use firefighting foam containing PFAS. Koenig, a retired fighter and paramedic, told lawmakers at a February hearing on the bill that he regrettably 'played with and used thousands of gallons of AFFF foam.' He said if the bill passes the Oregon Fire Chiefs would work with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to inventory how much of the AFFF foam and other foams containing PFAS still exist in the state and find the best way to exchange or dispose of them. 'We don't know if there's five gallons out there or 500,000 gallons out there. My gut feel is it's in the middle,' he told lawmakers. The bill makes an exception for firefighting foams that are or could be required by a regulation of the Federal Aviation Administration or other federal law, but some federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, are phasing them out. The U.S. Forest Service has not ended the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Northwest Arkansas residents gather for National Day of Protest
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Hundreds of Northwest Arkansas residents gathered at the Washington County courthouse to protest against recent decisions made by President Donald Trump's administration. 'There's not one specific issue that we're protesting. We are protesting a president who is dismantling the fundamental policies that make a democracy a democracy,' says Casey Cromer, one of the protest organizers. This protest was part of the 50501 Movement, which stands for '50 states, 50 protests, one day.' Federal workers protest job cuts in 'Not Our President's Day' rally 'This national protest is a call to restore our democracy and protect the rights of every individual. The current administration has shown it is willing to strip away vital protections for the most vulnerable in our society, and we refuse to sit quietly while this happens,' said For AR People founding director Gennie Diaz in a press release. Residents also stated their opposition to bills being discussed in the Arkansas legislature, including Senate Bill 91, which if passed, would ban city governments from capping rent, rental application fees, and rental deposits. Arkansas bill would limit local government's control on rent, deposit fees Organizers say that this protest was meant to unite the community and encourage residents to be more active in local organizations 'that are helping Arkansas become better,' and to be active in future elections. 'That is the biggest thing that we can work on to really cause the change that we need to see. We need people to be educated and show up to vote,' says Erin Killeen, who also helped organize the event. Cromer believes that citizens should 'get plugged in and make a difference wherever they can in our community because we know that power starts locally, for it to affect anything nationally.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
