New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is among those calling on the U.S. government to list so-called “forever chemicals” as hazardous waste under federal law, saying the move would provide a regulatory path for states across the nation that are dealing with contamination at military bases and other locations.
The governor filed her brief petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday.
It follows recent congressional testimony given by New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney and others in which they made the same request to list as hazardous perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are known collectively as PFAS. The class of highly toxic chemicals is used in products like nonstick cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and fast-food wrappers.