Proposal banning firefighting protective gear containing PFAS awaits Pritzker's signature

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A bill on Gov. JB Pritzker's desk could ban companies from manufacturing, selling, and distributing firefighting protective gear that contain forever chemicals.

Lawmakers filed the plan after seeing research that shows many people on the front lines are dying due to their standard gear.

The proposal requires companies selling protective equipment containing PFAS to provide written notice of why the chemicals are added to the gear by the end of this year.

Illinois could then ban people from selling any PPE containing forever chemicals to fire departments starting January 1, 2027.

"Although the fire service has known that PFAS were contained in our protective gear since at least 2018, nothing was done about it until state laws and litigation started to affect the bottom line of these manufacturers," said Steve Shetsky, the northern district legislative representative for American Firefighters of Illinois.

Manufacturers that sell auxiliary firefighting protective equipment would be banned from knowingly selling or distributing the gear intentionally containing PFAS beginning January 1, 2030.

State lawmakers passed a bill in 2021 to eliminate a type of firefighting foam that contained toxic chemicals. That law established the PFAS disposal program and created civil penalties for failure to comply with the ban.

"House Bill 2409 builds upon the act by addressing concerns regarding the PPE, and intends to eliminate the sale of turnout gear containing PFAS and improve long-term health risks that firefighters face," said Rep. Mike Kelly (D-Chicago).

The legislation gained unanimous support in the House and Senate.