A proposed bill in Maryland would require the state’s Department of Agriculture to ban certain pesticides containing PFAS, or forever chemicals, due to their toxicity and persistence in the environment.
JT Moodee Lockman reports for CBS News.
In short:
- House Bill 386 would mandate the creation of a list of pesticides with PFAS as active ingredients, banning their use and sale in Maryland.
- The legislation would phase out these chemicals, prohibiting their registration by 2027 and completely banning them by 2028.
- The bill follows national concerns over PFAS contamination in drinking water, with Maryland officials pushing back against Trump administration's rollbacks.
Key quote:
"This [pause on federal limits in drinking water] is really a tragic setback for water protection throughout America. And this rule would have caused industry to participate in reducing PFAS, and instead, it sends a signal to industry, you can poison us as much as you want."
— Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Why this matters:
PFAS—often called "forever chemicals" — are found in a wide range of consumer and industrial products, from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam. Their resistance to breaking down means they linger in soil, water and even human bodies, with exposure linked to cancer, immune system damage and reproductive issues.
While the federal government has taken steps to regulate PFAS, there is growing concern about rollbacks and delays, prompting states like Maryland to take independent action. Maryland’s bill comes amid growing national scrutiny over PFAS contamination in drinking water, a problem that has drawn attention from environmental advocates and public health experts. As state officials push for stronger protections, the debate over how to manage PFAS contamination continues to play out at both state and federal levels.
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