Committee Considers Moving Lead‑in‑Cookware Limits to Ecology; Striker Seeks Testing and Phased Limits

The House Committee on Environment and Energy heard ESSB 59 75 and a proposed striker that would vest the Department of Ecology’s Safer Products for Washington program with authority to set and phase lead limits for cookware, and to establish testing and compliance processes.

Jacob Lipson, committee staff, summarized the background: the 2024 legislature established lead limits for cookware and a 2026 limit of 90 parts per million that was scheduled to drop to 10 parts per million in 2028. The striker keeps the 90 ppm standard for products manufactured after Jan. 1, 2026, cancels the scheduled statutory drop to 10 ppm, and adds a provision prohibiting manufacturers from intentionally adding lead beginning in 2027. It also directs Ecology to designate cookware containing lead as a priority consumer product and to pursue rulemaking, including requiring manufacturers to provide data; Ecology is directed to adopt regulatory determinations by 2032–2033 and to consider appropriate exemptions for certain components.

Sen. Harris (17th District) — who introduced the measure in the Senate — told the committee the change matters to manufacturers and retailers that need an intelligible test method. "We have several manufacturers in our state, specifically Woodstone and others, that would like to know what the test is and how they're going to test it," he said.

Industry groups and retail associations generally supported the striker because it places testing, standard‑setting and enforcement in the agency process, which they said provides regulatory certainty. Charlie Brown of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and the Cookware Sustainability Alliance told the committee the striker "puts the regulatory process in place" and will give manufacturers the clarity they need.

Public‑health witnesses supported protective outcomes while urging that Ecology set scientifically protective limits. Dr. Holly Davies, a toxicologist at the Washington State Department of Health, testified that lead poisoning remains a preventable but prevalent risk in the state and stressed, "there is no safe level of lead regardless of age." Environmental advocates urged moving cookware into Ecology’s Safer Products program to allow data‑driven rulemaking and to enable the agency to order data from manufacturers for evaluation.

Manufacturers such as Woodstone described their current practices (citing typical aluminum maximums around 50 ppm for certain suppliers) and supported a science‑based, transparent test regimen administered by Ecology. Consumer‑facing groups and retailers argued the striker helps preserve product availability while protecting consumers.

The committee closed the ESSB 59 75 hearing after receiving testimony from tribes, advocates, industry, and agencies. No committee vote on ESSB 59 75 was taken during this session; the striker received broad stakeholder discussion and sponsors signaled continued work to refine exemptions and timelines.

What happens next: The committee closed the hearing and will allow further work between sponsors, Ecology, the Department of Health and stakeholders to finalize testing requirements, exemptions and implementation dates.