Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House committee hears experts split over state review of PFAS in pesticides and fertilizers
Summary
A House Agriculture committee heard testimony for and against HB 22-279, which would direct WSDA to create criteria to evaluate PFAS in pesticides and fertilizers; supporters called PFAS a persistent public-health risk while industry witnesses warned of duplication with EPA and potential market harms for Washington farmers.
Representative Parsley, the bill’s sponsor, told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 20 that PFAS are a long-lived class of chemicals with widespread environmental and human-health effects and that state action is warranted. "PFAS causes a lot of problems … It's the problem with it is it's a forever chemical," she said, arguing that states should begin evaluations now rather than wait for federal regulation.
The bill, summarized to the committee by staffer Rebecca Lewis, would require the Washington State Department of Agriculture to establish criteria for reviewing PFAS in fertilizers and pesticides, allow WSDA to refuse or cancel product registrations under those criteria, and phase implementation so that new registrations are reviewed beginning Dec. 31, 2027. Lewis told members…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
