An influential federal advisory committee is recommending that federal agencies phase out the purchase of products containing the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
In a February 1 letter to the General Services Administration, the GSA Acquisition Policy Federal Advisory Committee lists “minimizing acquisition of products containing [PFAS]” among several calls to improve how the government incorporates climate and sustainability priorities into its billion-dollar purchasing decisions.
The GSA negotiates federal contracts for cookware, furniture, carpets and thousands of other products and serves as the hub for shaping federal purchasing policy. The government buys over $650 billion every year in goods and services, so vowing to shift purchases toward only products free of PFAS would be an enormous chance to push the marketplace to supply safer alternatives to products containing forever chemicals.
Possible paths forward
Actions recommended by the advisory committee include limiting PFAS in purchasing contracts and dropping products containing the forever chemicals from its supply chain if alternatives are available. The advisors say the GSA could also require companies to confirm their products do not contain PFAS when there are cost-competitive alternatives made without the chemicals.
“PFAS, known for their persistence and recognized for adverse effects on human health and the environment, pose a significant concern in the realm of federal procurement,” the letter says. Members of the panel include state, local and federal government officials, industry representatives, academics and other experts.
GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan will now consider the recommendations, which, if adopted, could provide a powerful boost in the fight against the PFAS contamination crisis.
Companies already offer thousands of PFAS-free options for common products, such as carpets, furniture, cookware and food packaging, flooring and floor finishes.
Calling for change
Carnahan chartered the advisory panel in July 2022 to, among other things, provide recommendations to the GSA for “driving regulatory, policy, and process changes required to embed climate and sustainability considerations in federal acquisition.”
The committee was formed following the release of an executive order signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 and subsequent White House directives that instruct federal agencies to prioritize substitutes for products that contain PFAS.
In December 2022, EWG and 25 other advocacy groups sent a letter to Carnahan outlining recommendations about how the government could phase out the purchase of items containing forever chemicals. The groups cited Biden’s order, saying “the private sector is ready to respond” to the demand for PFAS-free products.
The GSA’s leadership is crucial to ending unnecessary uses of PFAS in the federal government. The recommendations of the advisory committee echo those made by environmental and public health advocates in their letter to the GSA. It is imperative the GSA swiftly adopt and implement the panel’s recommendations.
Other federal agencies have a vital role to play in tackling PFAS, including the Environmental Protection Agency, which has proposed – but not yet finalized – first-time drinking water standards for six PFAS. These chemicals have been studied extensively and are linked to serious health harms, including cancer and damage to the reproductive and immune systems.
But the White House needs to end its delay in finalizing the standards. More than 200 million Americans could be drinking water contaminated with PFAS. The full scale of the problem is likely worse than has already been confirmed. Swift regulatory action is needed to turn off the tap of PFAS pollution.
Health risks
PFAS are among the most persistent compounds in existence, contaminating everything from drinking water to food, food packaging and personal care products. They are found in the blood of virtually everyone, including newborn babies.
Very low doses of PFAS in drinking water have been linked to suppression of the immune system, including reduced vaccine efficacy, and an increased risk of certain cancers. PFAS are linked with increased cholesterol, reproductive and developmental problems and other health harms.
Given these risks, fighting the PFAS contamination problem requires an all-of-government approach, and the GSA now has the opportunity to step up to the challenge.
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