New Laws Limit Use Of Toxic PFAS Chemicals In New Hampshire

Banning certain use of the toxic perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals has been signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu, who recently addressed the chemicals' hazard to the public's health and the environment. Two new laws now prohibit the use of PFAS in furniture, carpeting and firefighting foams. Sununu signed the bills into law at the Hampton fire station on Tuesday, surrounded by first-responders supporting the initiative. The chemicals' contamination of local groundwater has made news in recent years, as elevated levels of PFAS were discovered in several New Hampshire communities, including Bedford, Merrimack and Portsmouth. The communities have taken steps to reduce the levels of the chemicals, and state officials recently proposed tighter drinking water standards. And after the passage of a bill earlier this year, a New Hampshire commission was formed to analyse the effects of PFAS exposure.