Approval of legislation to ban Pfas would be major win for advocates pushing for safer gear alternatives across US
A new bill proposed in the New York city council would ban the use of toxic Pfas “forever chemicals” in protective gear worn by the city’s 11,000 firefighters.
The New York fire department is the nation’s largest firefighting force, and approval of the legislation would mark a major win for advocates who are pushing for safer “turnout gear” alternatives across the US. Massachusetts and Connecticut last year became the first states to ban the use of Pfas in turnout gear, and Illinois enacted a ban this year.
Turnout gear, including jackets, pants, boots, gloves and other protective equipment that firefighters wear, is treated heavily with Pfas that makes it resistant to water and heat, and helps the textiles breathe.
But occupational cancer is the leading killer of firefighters nationwide, and the regular exposure to the highly toxic Pfas is thought to be a driver of the deaths. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) estimates cancer from turnout gear accounted for 66% of firefighter deaths from 2002 to 2019.
