BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 30, 2023
In 2021, the Maine Legislature passed a first-in-the-nation requirement to create a registry of products with added PFAS that are sold in the state. This registry could enable Mainers to know whether items on their shopping lists or in their homes have been treated with forever chemicals. It would also lay essential groundwork for Maine’s plan to phase out the sale of all products containing added PFAS by 2030. Manufacturers were supposed to submit information for the registry by Jan. 1, 2023. But the rulemaking process has been slow, and many businesses were granted six-month extensions. It is essential for manufacturers to supply the required information and for the environmental department to complete the product registry without additional delays. ~ Michael Haedicke and Jean MacRae