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The Washington state Departments of Ecology and Health collaborate to develop chemical action plans (CAPs) that assess the environmental and health impacts of a chemical or class of chemicals, and recommend strategies to reduce or eliminate those impacts. In October 2020, the Department of Ecology (Ecology) released a Draft CAP, prepared with the Department of Health, that recommended actions to address a broad range of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — synthetic chemicals used in firefighting foam and many consumer products, including food wrappers, fabrics, and carpets. Among the actions in the draft CAP are to provide technical support for PFAS site characterization, source investigation, and mitigation when PFAS are discovered in soil and water above levels of health concern; establish PFAS cleanup levels for soil and groundwater; work to prevent PFAS releases from firefighting foam use and manufacturing; understand and manage PFAS in waste; and reduce PFAS exposure from carpet and rugs, stain and water resistance treatments, and leather and textile furnishings.
