Two New Laws Banning PFAS Signed by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

The new laws that ban PFAS in most products and classify firefighter foam as hazardous waste are part of a bill package.

Diana Butron

The state of New Mexico has some of the highest documented levels of PFAS in the world in wildlife and plants, according to the New Mexico Environment Department. PFAS in highly contaminated areas come partly from firefighter foam, which is also used by milirary and Department of Defense.

In New Mexico firefighter foam containing PFAS will be now considered as hazardous waste. The House Bill 140 measure is an an effort that will allow the government to regulate such substancesl and mandate the PFAS cleanup.

Also, all the categories of consumer products which intentionally add PFAS will be banned. The only exceptions will be in "critical applications" in manufacturing and in the medical and electronic sectors. This House Bill 212 measure could reduce the amount of PFAS ending in landfills.

This legislation aims to transfer the clean up costs from the taxpayers to the polluters. Also this measure prevents a future expensive remediation meanwhile avoiding critical industrial applications said the New Mexico governor.

Some companies can see PFAS cleanup as a business oportunity. The company Clean Harbors, working with the Department of Defense, are testing if incineration methods are able to meet the EPA standards for PFAS destruction.