Sen. Ingwersen releases statement after Board of Environmental Protection unanimously adopts PFAS Products Rule, rejecting major exemption requests
AUGUSTA — On Thursday, Oct. 2 the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) voted unanimously to adopt Chapter 90, which is the implementation of a law introduced by Sen. Henry Ingwersen, D-Arundel, that phases out the sale of products containing intentionally added PFAS. In doing so, they also rejected the majority of the requests for “currently unavoidable use” (CUU) exemptions, including some from the cleaning, cookware and cosmetic industries. The BEP vote follows the posting of the rule on July 17 and a public hearing on August 21.
In response to the vote, Sen. Henry Ingwersen, D-Arundel, released the following statement.
“For several years, legislators, public interest groups and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection have been working hard to protect Mainers from harmful exposure to these chemicals. The resulting law that I sponsored protects the health of Mainers and allows manufacturers to request reasonable exemptions to the ban if they can’t avoid PFAS use in their products,” said Sen. Ingwersen. “With Thursday’s unanimous PFAS rule adoption, I am pleased that the BEP rejected most of these requests, particularly for items like cookware where direct human exposure is inevitable. In my view, the Board correctly recognized that there are PFAS-free alternatives to the products we use to put food on the table for our families. This law was created to protect Mainers’ health while allowing continued input from manufacturers that use PFAS, and I’m happy to see that this law is now in effect and is working. With Maine’s strong laws, we need to continue to reduce the amount of PFAS that contaminates our air, soil, water and some everyday items — ultimately putting our health at risk. That means rejecting unnecessary exemptions for consumer products that use PFAS, just as the BEP did.”
Moved by the heartbreaking story of Fred Stone at Stoneridge Dairy Farm in Arundel, Sen. Ingwersen has championed PFAS policy throughout his time in the Maine Senate.
In the 131st Legislature, Sen. Ingwersen sponsored LD 1537, “An Act to Amend the Laws Relating to the Prevention of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution and to Provide Additional Funding.” It updated Maine’s PFAS laws to phase out the sale of products containing PFAS, while allowing the Department of Environmental Protection to declare use in a product unavoidable and grant an exemption. If the Department grants an exemption, manufacturers would be required to report on the amount of PFAS used in that product.
After Jan. 1, 2026, companies will not be allowed to sell products in the following categories in Maine if they contain PFAS: cleaning products, cookware products, cosmetic products, dental floss, kid’s toys, menstrual products, textile articles (except for raingear), ski wax and upholstered furniture. Bans on additional items will take place in 2029, 2032 and 2040.
In the 132nd Legislature, Sen. Ingwersen introduced LD 130, “An Act to Establish the PFAS Response Program and to Modify the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination.” It formally established the PFAS Response Program, providing resources and support for farmers while setting a maximum level for PFAS in farm products. The new law took effect on Sept. 24, 2025.
In August 2025, Sen. Ingwersen submitted public comments to the Board of Environmental Protection, urging them to reject all of the CUU exemption requests, including for cleaning, cookware and cosmetic products.
He also welcomed a delegation of advocates, agency officials and policymakers from Massachusetts to Stoneridge Dairy Farm and the State House this summer. The group discussed these PFAS laws, helping plan to prevent PFAS contamination in one of Maine’s neighboring states. To further support their efforts, Sen. Ingwersen submitted written testimony in support of a Massachusetts bill, “An Act Protecting Our Soil and Farms from PFAS Contamination,” sponsored by Sen. Joanne Comerford and Rep. James Arena-DeRosa.
For more information about the PFAS Response Program and to sign up for updates, go to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s website at www.maine.gov/dacf/ag/pfas/pfas-fund.shtml.
Mainers can also ask questions or request help by calling Beth Valentine at (207) 313-0962 or emailing her at PFASFund.DACF@maine.gov.
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