102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB0561

 

Introduced 2/23/2021, by Sen. Laura Ellman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the PFAS Reduction Act. Provides that a person, local government, fire department, or State agency may not discharge or otherwise use for training or testing purposes a class B firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS. On and after January 1, 2022, prohibits the knowing manufacture, sale, offering for sale, distribution for sale, or distribution for use of a class B firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS. Provides specified notice and recall requirements for manufacturers. Contains a prohibition and exemption for the manufacture, sale, offering for sale, or distribution for sale of food packaging containing intentionally added PFAS. Requires manufacturers of class B firefighting foam containing PFAS to register with the Environmental Protection Agency and pay to the Agency an annual registration fee of $5,000. Requires the Agency to administer and enforce the Act and to adopt rules. Requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to conduct a survey of fire departments and to provide a report of the results of the survey to the General Assembly no later than 90 days after its completion. Provides a civil penalty of $5,000 for the first violation of the Act and $10,000 for each subsequent violation. Provides that civil penalties collected must be deposited into the Environmental Protection Trust Fund to be used in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Protection Trust Fund Act. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning safety.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the PFAS
5Reduction Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Agency" means the Environmental Protection Agency.
8    "Class B firefighting foam" means foam designed to
9extinguish flammable liquid fires.
10    "Fire department" means the duly authorized fire
11protection organization of a unit of local government, a
12Regional Fire Protection Agency, a fire protection district,
13or a volunteer fire department.
14    "Firefighting personal protective equipment" means any
15clothing, including, but not limited to, jackets, pants,
16shoes, gloves, helmets, and respiratory equipment designed,
17intended, or marketed to be worn by firefighting personnel in
18the performance of their duties.
19    "Local government" means a unit of local government or
20other special purpose district that provides firefighting
21services.
22    "Manufacturer" means a person that manufactures
23firefighting agents, firefighting equipment, or firefighting

 

 

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1personal protective equipment and any agents of that person,
2including an importer, distributor, authorized servicer,
3factory branch, or distributor branch.
4    "Perfluoroalkyl substance or polyfluoroalkyl substance" or
5"PFAS" means a class of fluorinated organic chemicals
6containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.
7    "Person" means any individual, partnership, association,
8public or private corporation, limited liability company, or
9any other type of legal or commercial entity, including, but
10not limited to, members, managers, partners, directors, or
11officers.
12    "Testing" means calibration testing, conformance testing,
13and fixed system testing.
 
14    Section 10. Class B firefighting foam; PFAS.
15    (a) Beginning January 1, 2022, a person, local government,
16fire department, or State agency may not discharge or
17otherwise use for training or testing purposes a class B
18firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS.
19However, the testing of class B firefighting foam to which
20PFAS chemicals have been intentionally added may occur if the
21Agency has evaluated the testing facility for containment,
22treatment, and disposal measures to prevent uncontrolled
23release of foam to the environment. Appropriate containment,
24treatment, and disposal or storage measures may not include
25flushing, draining, or otherwise discharging the foam into a

 

 

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1storm or sanitary sewer.
2    (b) On and after January 1, 2025, a manufacturer of class B
3firefighting foam may not knowingly manufacture, sell, offer
4for sale, distribute for sale, or distribute for use in this
5State a class B firefighting foam containing intentionally
6added PFAS.
7    (c) The prohibitions of this Section do not apply to the
8manufacture, sale, or distribution of class B firefighting
9foam where the inclusion of PFAS chemicals is required or
10authorized under federal law or local building or fire codes,
11including, but not limited to, 14 CFR 139.317, federal
12aviation administration guidance, and the 2016 edition of NFPA
13409 Standard on Aircraft Hangars as amended, or otherwise
14required for a military purpose. However, if applicable
15federal law allows the use of alternative firefighting agents
16that do not contain PFAS chemicals, the restrictions under
17this Section shall apply.
18    (d) The prohibitions of this Section do not apply to the
19manufacture, sale, or distribution of class B firefighting
20foam with PFAS chemicals that is used by a fire department, for
21a period not to exceed 5 years after the effective date of this
22Section, solely in emergency situations.
 
23    Section 15. Notification; recall; registration and
24registration fee.
25    (a) On and after 30 days after the effective date of this

 

 

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1Act, a manufacturer of class B firefighting foam that is
2restricted under Section 10 must notify, in writing, a person
3that sells the manufacturer's class B firefighting foam in
4this State of the provisions of this Act.
5    (b) A manufacturer that produces, sells, or distributes a
6class B firefighting foam restricted under Section 10 shall
7recall the product and reimburse the retailer or any other
8purchaser for the product.
9    (c) Beginning on January 1, 2022, any person, unit of
10local government, fire department, or State agency that
11discharges, uses, or releases class B firefighting foam that
12contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals must be reported
13to the Agency within 48 hours of the discharge, use, or
14release. The notification must include:
15        (1) the time, date, location, and estimated amount of
16    class B firefighting foam discharged, used, or released;
17        (2) the purpose or reason of the discharge, use, or
18    release; and
19        (3) the containment, treatment, and disposal measures
20    to be taken or used to prevent or minimize the discharge or
21    release of the foam into the environment.
 
22    Section 20. Rules. The Agency shall adopt any rules
23necessary for the implementation and administration of this
24Act.
 

 

 

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1    Section 25. Survey.
2    (a) On or before January 1, 2022, the Office of the State
3Fire Marshal shall conduct a survey of fire departments to
4determine:
5        (1) Each fire department's name, applicable
6    identification number, and address.
7        (2) The amount, type, and date of manufacture of any
8    class b firefighting foam containing intentionally added
9    PFAS chemicals that each fire department possesses.
10        (3) How, where, and when each fire department has used
11    class b firefighting foam containing intentionally added
12    PFAS chemicals for firefighter training.
13        (4) Whether each fire department is served by a well
14    or public drinking water source.
15        (5) Whether each fire department has used class b
16    firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS
17    chemicals in the previous 5 years, whether that use was
18    reported to the Agency, and if not when and where the class
19    b firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS
20    chemicals was used.
21        (6) How much, if any, class b firefighting foam
22    containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals the fire
23    department has disposed of and the method of disposal.
24    (b) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall compile the
25results of the survey conducted under this Section and provide
26a report to the General Assembly no later than 90 days

 

 

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1following the completion of the survey.
2    (c) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall assist
3other State agencies, fire protection districts, and
4municipalities in avoiding purchasing or using firefighting
5agents containing PFAS chemicals, as required under Section 10
6of this Act.
 
7    Section 30. Firefighting personal protective equipment.
8    (a) On and after January 1, 2022, a manufacturer or person
9who sells firefighting personal protective equipment to any
10person, fire department, local government, or State agency
11must provide written notice to the purchaser at the time of
12sale if the firefighting personal protective equipment
13contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals. The written
14notice must include a statement that the firefighting personal
15protective equipment being sold contains intentionally added
16PFAS chemicals and the reason PFAS chemicals are added to the
17firefighting personal protective equipment.
18    (b) A manufacturer or person who sells firefighting
19personal protective equipment and the person, fire department,
20local government, or State agency purchasing firefighting
21personal protective equipment must retain the notice provided
22under subsection (a) on file for at least 3 years after the
23date of the transaction. Upon the request of the Agency, a
24manufacturer, person, fire department, local government, or
25State agency must furnish the notice, or copies of the notice,

 

 

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1and any associated sales documentation to the Agency not more
2than 60 days after the Agency's request.
 
3    Section 35. Food packaging; exemption.
4    (a) On and after January 1, 2022, no person shall
5knowingly manufacture, sell, offer for sale, distribute for
6sale, or distribute for use in this State food packaging
7containing intentionally added PFAS.
8    (b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to food packaging that
9is sold, offered for sale, or distributed for promotional
10purposes in this State by a retailer or wholesaler on or after
11January 1, 2022 if the food packaging was imported into this
12State, or otherwise purchased or acquired by the retailer or
13wholesaler for sale or distribution in this State, prior to
14January 1, 2022.
 
15    Section 40. PFAS Program Fund. The PFAS Program Fund is
16created as a special fund in the State treasury. Moneys in the
17Fund shall be used by the Agency as provided by rules adopted
18by the Agency.
 
19    Section 45. Civil penalties. A manufacturer or person who
20violates this Act is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed
21$5,000 for the first violation and a civil penalty not to
22exceed $10,000 for each subsequent violation. Civil penalties
23collected under this Section must be deposited into the

 

 

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1Environmental Protection Trust Fund to be used in accordance
2with the provisions of the Environmental Protection Trust Fund
3Act.
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.