Nonstick cookware industry sues over law banning cancer-causing chemicals
Minnesota is turning up the heat on nonstick cookware manufacturers with a groundbreaking PFAS ban. And it’s safe to say the industry isn’t taking it lying down.
Dubbed "Amara's Law," it has outlawed the sale of products containing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—the notorious "forever chemicals" linked to severe health and environmental issues. PFAS are synthetic chemicals prized for their nonstick, water-repellent properties.
Unfortunately, their persistence in the environment and the human body has earned them the ominous nickname "forever chemicals." These substances have been linked to cancers, hormone disruption, and other health issues. Minnesota’s PFAS ban is predicated on a few different factors.
Most notably, a major PFAS contamination near a 3M plant has left a costly legacy for Minnesotans. The state estimates it will spend $28 billion in the next 20 years to clean PFAS from wastewater and landfills.
Enter Amara’s Law. Named after 20-year-old Amara Strande, who tragically died from a rare cancer linked to PFAS, the law aims to prevent further harm by banning these chemicals in products like cookware, rugs, and even menstrual products. For many, this ban is a step toward safer consumer goods and a healthier environment.
Not everyone is celebrating, of course. The Cookware Sustainability Alliance (CSA), a group advocating for the cookware industry, has filed a lawsuit claiming the PFAS ban is unconstitutional and unfairly targets out-of-state manufacturers.
According to the CSA, the PFAS ban creates insurmountable challenges for companies whose products rely on these chemicals for their nonstick properties. Their argument? The law imposes significant economic burdens while offering insufficient public health benefits.
They’re asking the courts to strike down the law, citing violations of state commerce clauses and undue interference in interstate trade. However, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) stands firm, arguing that the state cannot simply "clean its way out" of the PFAS crisis.
Advocates for the ban point to the overwhelming evidence of PFAS’s dangers and the pressing need to address their root causes. Meanwhile, legal experts predict a prolonged battle. Of course, we have seen some successful attempts to break down PFAS completely, but scaling them up to a usable point remains a challenge.
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Nonstick cookware industry sues over law banning cancer-causing chemicals originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 14 Jan 2025 at 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.