Massachusetts and Connecticut are the first two states in the U.S. to ban the use of toxic PFAS “persistent chemicals” in firefighters’ protective gear.
Firefighters’ protective clothing such as jackets, pants, boots, gloves and other protective equipment is heavily treated with PFAS, which makes it water and heat resistant and ensures the breathability of the textiles.
But this protection comes at a price: The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) estimates that between 2002 and 2019, 66% of all deaths among firefighters were due to cancer caused by turnout gear.
“The lives of this next generation of firefighters will be saved,” said Rich Mackinnon, president of the Professional Firefighters Association of Massachusetts, in a media statement. “Their families will not have to go through the diagnosis, treatment and unfortunate death.”
PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals typically used to make water-, stain- and heat-resistant products. They are called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down naturally. They can build up in humans 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 must be PFAS-free by 2027 and 2028, respectively. In addition, Massachusetts law requires all turnout equipment manufacturers that sell products treated with PFAS to provide written notice to the buyer.
The bills have faced stiff opposition from the nation’s $5 billion turnout gear industry and chemical companies, and it’s unclear how many states will follow suit – a similar proposal for a ban failed in the California legislature this week, just days after Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the bill.
Diane Cotter, wife of Worcester Fire Department firefighter Paul Cotter, has been a leader in the effort in Massachusetts. Paul was diagnosed with prostate cancer caused by PFAS exposure about 10 years ago at age 55.
Her crusade began in 2019 when she mentioned at a lunch with other wives of local firefighters 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 as “naive” at the time, armed with “only an expired hairdresser’s license,” but ready to take on a then-unfriendly firefighters’ union, the state government, the chemical industry and the turnout gear industry.
“If I were more worldly and had gone to college, I don’t think I would have done this,” says Cotter, whose son also works in the Worcester division.
Her efforts and those of others were met with hostility from a former IAFF leader, Cotter said, adding that he worked closely with heads of state to ensure their efforts did not gain political traction.
That changed when current IAFF President Ed Kelly took office in 2021 and the union changed its position on the issue. It supported Massachusetts firefighters in independently suing manufacturers, and Kelly issued a statement: “Companies selling the products engage in ‘ongoing and ongoing public deception’ about their risks.”
Suddenly, the state’s political leadership is more open to a ban, Cotter said. She was invited to the bill signing last week, a moment she described as “surreal.”
“There was such relief that the work was now done and such humility, joy and numbness,” she said.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents PFAS manufacturers, remained opposed, and the law has far-reaching implications in the fight to regulate PFAS. By expanding PFAS regulations, the industry has sought to portray the chemicals as irreplaceable and essential to life-saving products such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals or turnout gear.
“This bill could have unintended consequences for the performance of the PPE our firefighters need,” the ACC said in a media release. “(It) is designed to withstand the extreme hazards they face on the job, including exposure to open flames, high temperatures and potentially dangerous combustion byproducts.”
However, some departments have already switched to PFAS-free turnout gear, refuting the chemical industry’s claim that the products could not be manufactured without these chemicals.
