SPAN Submits Comments to Consumer Product Safety Commission PFAS Inquiry
Urges uniform, sustainable PFAS management programs that protect public health & the environment
Today the Sustainable PFAS Action Network (SPAN) was pleased to submit comments concerning the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) request for information on consumer products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
SPAN expressed concern that CPSC is engaged in an effort which is redundant or duplicative with federal and state government efforts already underway in the United States and offered recommendations that support practical management programs focused on protecting human health and the environment while recognizing the critical need for certain PFAS compounds.
Key highlights from the comment letter include SPAN recommendations for CPSC to:
Pause information gathering efforts until the commission has effectively coordinated with other federal and state agencies.
Coordinate with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on efforts to collect data on PFAS manufacturing and use in the US.
Confer with other federal agencies as well as state agencies that are implementing reporting requirements concerning products distributed in those states that contain PFAS.
Exercise the commission’s discretion to delay or suspend its current information gathering efforts pending the completion of reporting under the US EPA’s TSCA information gathering rule for PFAS.
Employ a risk-based approach to any potential programs that may limit or prohibit the presence of PFAS in consumer products.
Take into consideration, and provide exceptions for, critical uses of PFAS that are essential for the safe and effecting functioning of household and consumer products, and which provide certain societal and health benefits
The full comment letter, which includes further explanation for these recommendations, is available by clicking here.
ABOUT SPAN
Formed in 2021, SPAN members recognize that America’s innovators and industries depend on the responsible management of PFAS compounds. The organization supports science- and risk-based policy approaches that recognize the unique differences of these compounds. Recognizing the essential role of PFAS compounds in enabling economic prosperity, delivering lifesaving equipment and medicine, climate change mitigation, and national security, among many other important applications, SPAN is committed to their sustainable use and responsible management.
###
