Last year, the Legislature passed a bill aimed at eliminating the sale of PFAS in the state of Maine. There is no question that PFAS contamination is a problem. We’ve been hearing about it at a fever pitch for years now. I’m all for cleaning up a chemical that can cause harm to our environment and our people, but we have to be careful about how we do it.
There is an old adage, “when your only tool is a hammer every problem is going to seem like a nail.” That seems to be the way the Legislature is treating the PFAS problem in Maine. There are thousands of PFAS compounds that are used in virtually everything we use in modern life. I am an auto mechanic. In my job, I use parts and products that have PFAS in them every day, but that doesn’t make them dangerous. Most of the time, it makes them essential. By banning these products with an all encompassing definition we risk the safety and durability of products we use everyday from the aircraft we fly to the cars we drive.
The Environment and Natural Resources committee seems to be on track to dive deeper into the issue and make necessary changes to the law. I’m hopeful they come to a resolution that works for everyone. The current law just doesn’t account for the necessities of PFAS in our every day life.
Jacob Reynolds
Bangor, Maine
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