NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Jeff Brand
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 18A – 651-296-8634– rep.jeff.brand@house.mn.gov
501 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
April 18, 2023
Minnesota House Passes PFAS Prevention Package
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the PFAS Prevention Package as part of HF 2310, the 2023 Environment, Natural Resources, Climate, and Energy Budget Bill.
The budget bill includes HF 1000, authored by Rep. Jeff Brand, which bans non-essential use of PFAS by 2032 and requires disclosure of use in non-essential products in the interim. Polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are cancer-causing “forever chemicals” that have been found in ground water across the state.
“Today, we turned off the faucet on PFAS in Minnesota,” said Rep. Brand. “We have a long way to go to get PFAS out of our daily lives, but this bill puts us on the right path.
While I feel a sense of relief knowing we took a big step of progress today, my heart is heavy knowing the effects of PFAS have already taken a toll on Minnesota families. I want to thank the Strande family for their advocacy this session as they welcomed us to peer into their lives, forever changed due to the devastating effects of PFAS contamination. Today as we pass legislation to ensure a brighter, cleaner future for Minnesotans, we honor Amara.”
Community member Amara Strande of Oakdale has testified in several committee hearings in favor of the package, sharing her experience with a rare, terminal form of liver cancer caused by PFAS contamination by 3M in the East Metro. Amara died on Friday, days before the passing of the PFAS Prevention Package.
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