Lamont signs bill banning hazardous chemicals in packaging, firefighting foam

Measure halts hazardous materials in packaging and firefighting foam

Gov. Ned Lamont held a billsigning ceremony Tuesday for a new law banning hazardous chemicals that are used in firefighting foam and food packaging.

WINDSOR — Surrounded by environmentalists at the riverfront, Gov. Ned Lamont held a bill-signing ceremony Tuesday for a new law banning hazardous chemicals that are used in firefighting foam and food packaging.

The chemical ban applies to polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, that are used in common products.

Lamont traveled to the Farmington River in Windsor, where residents were highly concerned in 2019 when firefighting foam with PFAS spilled into the river. PFAS in the foam will be banned on Oct. 1, while the use in food packaging will be prohibited in 2023.

Soon after taking office in 2019, Lamont created a task force on the issue at the urging of environmentalists. Windsor was directly impacted by the issue because two major releases of PFAS at Bradley International Airport in nearby Windsor Locks led to tens of thousands of gallons of contaminated water arriving in local waters. PFAS was accidentally released from a hangar at the airport in June, and then it was used in October to help extinguish an intense fire when a B-17 crashed at the airport, killing seven passengers and injuring seven others.

Lamont admitted to the outdoor crowd Tuesday that he did not immediately know all the scientific details when officials told him that action needed to be taken.

“I also asked, ‘What the heck is PFAS?’ ” Lamont said. “Usually, we’re

behind the curve and slow to respond. But I’d like to think we’re going to be leaders and early when it comes to PFAS. One of the things I’ve learned in this job and from studying a little bit of history is Americans are great when it comes to responding to a crisis, when it comes to responding to an emergency, but we’re a little slow when it comes to identifying the nature of

that crisis and that costs us.”

Scientific researchers have linked PFAS chemicals to cancer and immune system and reproductive problems, among many health concerns.

Lamont said it is highly important to understand the dangers of a chemical spill.

“This could be a public health crisis,” he said. “This could get into our bloodstream.

This could be the chemical COVID of the next generation, but it’s not going to be because we’re going to be leaders on this.”

After the bill signing, Lamont turned to schoolchildren who had gathered at the event and said, “Keep fighting for the river.’’

CHRISTOPHER KEATING/HARTFORD COURANT Gov. Ned Lamont signs a bill to ban dangerous PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam and food packaging ceremony Tuesday along the riverfront in Windsor.

COURANT FILE PHOTO John Fitz, left, and Carlos Mendez, field technicians for Environmental Services of South Windsor, work to contain firefighting foam found in Rainbow Brook in early October 2019. The pollution flowed into the brook and then into the Farmington River after PFAS was used in the B-17 bomber crash at Bradley International Airport on Oct. 2, 2019.