Governor Maura Healey signed legislation requiring the removal of PFAS from firefighter protective gear. The law bans the sale of bunker gear containing intentionally added PFAS effective January 2027, and requires warning labels on firefighting gear beginning in 2025 to inform firefighters about PFAS content. Massachusetts becomes one of only two states with such comprehensive PFAS protection for firefighters, addressing a significant occupational health concern for fire services personnel.
Massachusetts manages PFAS through a dual-track system. Under TURA, industrial facilities exceeding specific thresholds must track and report their use of listed PFAS categories. Concurrently, new state legislation has established a phased approach to eliminating intentionally added PFAS from consumer goods and industrial discharges to protect environmental justice populations and municipal water systems. The employee notification deadline is January 1, 2026; TURA reporting and planning are due by July 1, 2026; intentionally added PFAS in specified product categories were subject to elimination as of January 1, 2026; and sales of firefighter turnout gear containing PFAS are prohibited beginning in 2027.