OCTOBER 27, 2021

LANSING - The Great Lakes PFAS Action Network today lauded an executive directive issued by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to limit procurement of PFAS-containing products unless currently unavoidable. Today’s directive makes Michigan the first state in the country to issue such an order on PFAS procurement by state agencies. Common PFAS-containing products used by the state include seating and office furniture, carpets and sanitary supplies. 

 "The Governor's action makes clear that forever chemicals have no place in our bodies, our environment or our workplaces” said Tony Spaniola, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network  “We urge businesses across Michigan to follow Governor Whitmer's lead and remove PFAS from the products they sell, not just to state agencies, but to all Michiganders.  And, we look forward to working with both sides in the Legislature to more broadly limit the sale of products containing PFAS."

Earlier in October, the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network unveiled its PFAS Policy Agenda, a comprehensive blueprint of policy priorities to address PFAS contamination in Michigan for state government and the Legislature. Banning procurement of PFAS-containing products by the state government was a key policy priority in the Agenda. The Agenda also calls for the Legislature to pass a bill banning the sale of PFAS-containing products to consumers unless currently unavoidable. Maine has already enacted such a ban.  

“We are pleased to see Governor Whitmer take concrete steps to reduce exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals by leveraging our state’s purchasing power,” said Sandy Wynn-Stelt, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. “The Whitmer administration and lawmakers must work to address PFAS contamination in our state and implement our PFAS Policy Agenda.”

A full version of the action agenda can be found at https://www.glpan.org/policy-agenda.