Massachusetts and Connecticut are the first two states in the US to ban the use of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in firefighter protective gear.
The gear that firefighters wear, such as jackets, pants, boots, gloves and other protective gear, is heavily treated with PFAS. This makes the gear water and heat resistant and the fabric remains breathable.
But this protection comes at a high price: The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) estimates that cancer caused by firefighting gear accounted for 66% of firefighter deaths between 2002 and 2019.
“This next generation of firefighters — their lives will be saved,” Rich Mackinnon, president of the Professional Firefighters Association of Massachusetts, said in a news release. “Their families won’t have to go through the diagnosis, treatment and unfortunate death.”
PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals that are commonly used to make products that are resistant to water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally. They can accumulate in people and the environment and have been linked to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders, birth defects and other serious health problems.
Equipment sold in Massachusetts and Connecticut will be required to be PFAS-free beginning in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Additionally, Massachusetts law requires manufacturers of turnout gear who sell products treated with PFAS to provide written notice to the purchaser.
The bills have been met with fierce opposition from the nation’s $5 billion emergency response equipment industry and chemical manufacturers. It’s unclear how many states will follow suit. A similar ban proposal failed in the California legislature this week, just days after Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed it into law.
Diane Cotter, the wife of Worcester firefighter Paul Cotter, helped spearhead the effort in Massachusetts. Paul was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which has been linked to PFAS exposure, about 10 years ago when he was 55.
Her crusade began in 2019, when she shared with other local firefighters’ wives at a luncheon that her husband had prostate cancer.
“Almost every woman at the table raised her head and said, ‘Me too,’” Cotter said, noting that most of the women were only 35 to 55 years old. She described herself at the time as “naive,” armed with “only an expired hairdresser’s license,” but prepared to take on a then-unfriendly firefighters’ union, the state government, the chemical industry and the firefighting apparel industry.
“If I had been more worldly and gone to university, I don’t think I would have done this,” said Cotter, whose son also works in the Worcester department.
Her efforts and those of others were met with hostility by a former IAFF leader, Cotter said, adding that he worked closely with state leaders to ensure her efforts did not gain political support.
That changed when current IAFF President Ed Kelly took over in 2021 and the union changed its position on the issue, supporting Massachusetts firefighters who sued independent manufacturers, and Kelly issued a proposition: “Companies selling the products are engaged in ‘continuous and persistent public deception’ regarding their risks.”
Suddenly, the state’s political leadership was more receptive to a ban, Cotter said. She was invited to the bill signing last week, a moment she described as “surreal.”
“There was so much relief that the work was now done, and so much humility, joy and numbness,” she said.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents PFAS makers, remained opposed, and the bill has broader implications for the fight to regulate PFAS. As PFAS regulations have expanded, the industry has tried to portray the chemicals as irreplaceable and essential to life-saving products like medical devices, pharmaceuticals or deployment equipment.
“This bill could have unintended consequences for the performance of PPE that our firefighters need,” the ACC said in a statement. “(It) is designed to withstand extreme hazards they face on the job, including exposure to open flames, high temperatures and potentially dangerous combustion products.”
However, some departments have already switched to PFAS-free turnout gear, countering the chemical industry’s claim that the products cannot be made without chemicals.
