On Jan. 3, the Portland Press Herald reported that the use of PFAS – the harmful ‘forever chemicals’ – is still widespread and ongoing in Maine. From swimsuits, work gloves and cosmetics to sealants, lubricants and electronics, PFAS are added to many products sold here, according to early reporting to the state of Maine by product makers.

That’s a big problem. PFAS are easily washed down the drain or discharged by industry where they contaminate our rivers, bays and wastewater treatment plants. Many products and sludge containing PFAS are dumped in landfills where they can pollute groundwater or leachate.

This vicious cycle of PFAS product use and disposal has taken its toll in Maine. At least 73 Maine farms are grappling with PFAS pollution due to PFAS-contaminated sludge having been spread on their fields, with several farms driven out of business. It’s no longer safe to drink from 540 household wells contaminated with PFAS.

My research in central Maine reveals that PFAS have moved far from sites of contamination to pollute lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater.

PFAS are circulating in the bloodstream of nearly all Americans. Many PFAS are linked to serious health problems, including cancers, immune suppression and metabolic disorders. Late last year, PFOA, one of the most common PFAS pollutants, was declared a known human carcinogen.

All this damage is caused by PFAS in products used by businesses, consumers and industry. For example, the industrial use of PFAS to make grease-resistant paper and molded fiber products in Maine was one major source of PFAS pollution. With PFAS still in widespread use, and many wells and lands in Maine still needing to be tested, the toll is mounting.

That’s why these early PFAS use reports spell good news for Maine.

They show that Maine’s PFAS reporting law is working as intended. Enacted by the Maine Legislature in 2021 with overwhelming bipartisan support, this law requires manufacturers to find and report PFAS use in their products, and it creates incentives for replacement with safer alternatives.

So far, Maine’s reporting system has yielded valuable information on PFAS in cosmetics, cleaners, cookware, home appliances, pesticides, paper products, apparel and industrial products. Reporting works even for so-called “complex products.” For example, the maker of Olympus brand digital cameras reported PFAS in 144 components of its electronic equipment. This shows that it’s not hard for companies to ask their suppliers for information on PFAS use – and to report what they know or can reasonably find out.

Companies large and small that are required to disclose are doing so, including some that have indicated they are moving away from PFAS uses. Regulatory pressure has already led to substitutions in many products, such as high performance fluorinated ski waxes, which have been a big source of contamination in places where they are used, including in Maine, and in the people using them.

Much more will be learned about PFAS in products sold in Maine when a reporting deadline kicks in one year from now. Other states like Minnesota are following Maine’s lead.

But some in industry seek to repeal this PFAS reporting requirement, which would be an extreme rollback of Maine’s efforts to prevent future PFAS pollution and protect Mainers. Maine already responded to industry concerns by extending the reporting deadline until next year. It may also be possible to narrow the reporting mandate to target where PFAS information is most urgently needed. But eliminating reporting altogether is dangerous. This information is critical because what we don’t know can hurt us.

Mainers have a right to know which hazardous chemicals are used by industry or added to consumer and commercial products. Protecting our drinking water, food supply and bodies from future PFAS pollution is worth the extra paperwork.

The Maine Legislature should stand firm in defense of Maine’s PFAS reporting law, which is working and should be protected.

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