♪♪ >> Cathy: A NEW MINNESOTA LAW AIMED AT COMBATING PFAS, ALSO KNOWN AS FOREVER CHEMICALS, TOOK EFFECT EARLIER THIS MONTH.

THE NEW LAW PROHIBITS SALE OF PRODUCTS THAT KNOWINGLY INCLUDE PFAS.

AMONG THE AFFECTED CATEGORIES ARE COOKWARE AND CLEANING PRODUCTS.

BUT A TOTAL BAN ON PFAS IN PRODUCTS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2032.

RECENTLY BUSINESSES AND MANUFACTURERS HAVE PUSHED BACK ON THE NEW REGULATIONS.

JOINING US NOW IS THE AUTHOR OF THE BILL, ALSO KNOWN AS "AMARA'S LAW," D.F.L.

SENATOR JUDY SEEBERGER.

FROM AFTON.

WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: AMARA'S LAW.

NOW IS IT NAMED FOR A YOUNG WOMAN WHO DIED OF CANCER, AND SHE WAS EXPOSED TO THESE CHEMICALS, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THE LAW IS NAMED FOR AMARA STRANDE.

SHE GREW UP IN AN AREA THAT WAS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED WITH PFAS AND DEVELOPED A RARE ORM OF CANCER IN HER YOUTH WHICH ULTIMATELY TOOK HER LIFE JUST BEFORE THE LAW WAS ENACTED.

SHE SHOWED UP AND TESTIFIED AT EVERY HEARING WHERE THE BILL MOVED ALONG.

SO IT WAS A BITTERSWEET VICTORY FOR US WHEN WE FINALLY GOT IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE BUT SHE WASN'T THERE TO SEE IT HAPPEN.

>> Eric: I KNOW THERE ARE BUSINESS CONCERNS BUT I WONDER IF THIS COULD BE A MARKETING TOOL.

I WOULD THINK CONSUMERS MIGHT LIKE BUYING SOMETHING THAT IS PFA-FREE.

>> ONE WOULD THINK.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT I LEARNED IS THAT PFAS IS IN EVERYTHING, IT'S IN THINGS THAT YOU WOULDN'T IMAGINE IT WOULD BE IN.

THINGS LIKE DENTAL FLOSS OR MICROWAVE POP CORN, THINGS THAT WE USE EVERY DAY.

AND I THINK CONSUMERS WOULD BE SURPRISED AT JUST HOW PREVALENT IT IS AND WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING IF THEY'RE INGESTING IT OR OTHERWISE EXPOSED TO IT.

>> Cathy: SO THERE IS SO MUCH THAT'S OUT THERE AND OF COURSE A LOT OF THESE CHEMICALS WERE MANUFACTURED AND THEN DUMPED BY 3M IN THE EAST ETRO.

AND I'M WONDERING HOW MIGHT THIS MITIGATE THIS OCEAN OF CHEMICALS, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE KIND OF A DROP IN THE BUCKET IN A SENSE REALLY WITH THIS BAN.

>> WE REALLY HAVE TO ATTACK THIS KIND OF ON A TWO-PRONG APPROACH.

ONE IS TO CLEAN UP THE PFAS THAT'S ALREADY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT WHICH WE'RE DOING BY FILTERING WATER AND IDENTIFYING WAYS THAT WE CAN GET IT OUT OF THE GROUNDWATER AND THE SOIL AND ENVIRONMENT AROUND US.

BUT THE SECOND PRONG IS PREVENTING THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE PFAS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND INTO OUR BODIES.

SO IF WE CAN TACKLE IT IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS WHERE WE MAY BE EXPOSED TO IT OUTSIDE OF WATER, OTHER REAS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, THAT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY THAT WE NOW CAN PREVENT THE FURTHER INTRODUCTION OF THIS MATERIAL.

>> Cathy: GIVE US A SENSE OF THE PUSHBACK THEN THAT SOME BUSINESSES -- WHAT WAS THE CONCERN, THE MAIN CONCERNS?

>> I'VE HEARD A COUPLE DIFFERENT ISSUES.

ONE IS THERE'S A COOKWARE ALLIANCE THAT HAS FILED SOOT.

I HAVEN'T READ THE LAWSUIT SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HAT THEIR ALLEGATIONS ARE BUT I HAVE HEARD FROM THE MPCA THEY'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE LAW WILL WITHSTAND THEIR CHALLENGE.

ANOTHER CONCERN HAS TO DO WITH JUVENILE POWERSPORTS EQUIPMENT.

THE LAW BANS THE INTENTIONAL ADDING OF PFAS IN JUVENILE PRODUCTS AND NOW THE QUESTION IS DO SMALL DIRT BIKES AND SMALL ATVs OR KIDS COMPLY WITH THE LAW, NOT COMPLY WITH THE LAW, ARE THEY INCLUDED IN THE LAW.

SO WE'RE WORKING OUT SOME OF THOSE ISSUES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE IN COMPLIANCE REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY'RE SELLING.

>> Eric: THEY ARE CALLED FOREVER CHEMICALS, AND THAT WOULD -- THEY'RE CALLED THAT FOR A REASON.

HOW TOUGH IS IT TO GET AHEAD OF THIS OR GET A HANDLE ON THESE CONTAMINANTS?

>> I FEEL LIKE IN SOME WAYS WE'RE PLAYING CATCH-UP.

THESE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME, THEY'RE PERVASIVE, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.

I THINK -- I READ SOMEWHERE THAT EVERY LIVING ORGANISM ON THE PLANET HAS PFAS WITHIN THEIR TISSUES.

>> Eric: WOW.

>> SO IT IS EVERYWHERE AND IT'S BIOCUMULATIVE, YOU KEEP ACCUMULATING IT WITHIN YOUR BODY, YOU DON'T GET ID OF IT.

THEY'RE EVERYWHERE, WE ARE PLAYING CATCH-UP, WE HAVE TO BE AGGRESSIVE NOW TO MAKE MEANINGFUL PROGRESS IN THE FUTURE.

>> Cathy: ANY OTHER LEGISLATION THAT YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN PASSING AROUND THIS ISSUE AT ALL?

>> I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO CURB IT IN THINGS LIKE FIRE FIGHTING GEAR.

SO I'M A FIREFIGHTER, THERE'S PFAS IN MY TURNOUT GEAR.

WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS WE CAN MAKE FIRE FIGHTING GEAR, TURNOUT GEAR THAT IS SAFE, SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU'RE IN A FIRE BUT ALSO DOESN'T MAKE YOU SICK.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOU