Maine takes step toward phase out of long-lasting chemicals
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Lawmakers in Maine have made a move toward banning pesticides that contain long-lasting chemicals.
The proposal would ban the distribution of pesticides with intentionally added perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances by 2030. The Maine House of Representatives approved the ban on April 7, the Bangor Daily News reported.
The state has been trying to crack down on the chemicals in recent months following the discovery of the substances in farmland and water sources. The chemicals are linked to health problems, including cancer.
The proposal didn’t pass easily. The majority of a legislative committee previously voted against the bill, and the House passed it by a count of 75-61. The vast majority of Democrats supported the measure, while only two Republicans did.
Some members of the state’s agricultural industry said Maine should wait for federal regulators to review the chemicals before it passes its own laws.
Others supported the ban, and some want the state to go even further. Sarah Alexander, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, said stories from impacted farmers in the state “make it clear that additional contamination of Maine’s soil and water by the application of sludge that contains PFAS must stop immediately.”
The ban will face more votes in the Legislature.
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