Skiers and snowboarders in New Hampshire could soon see a new law impacting the tuning products available in the state.
Many ski waxes, both nordic and downhill, include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals”. These waxes can be disastrous for the environment, leaving the snow and soil at ski areas contaminated by the substances.
Fluorinated ski waxes, which include the forever chemicals, have been banned in competition by the International Ski Federation, and some states, including California, have already begun to limit products available with the substances. New Hampshire could be one of the next to do so.
New Hampshire House Bill 167, sponsored by five democratic state representatives and one democratic state senator, would prohibit the sale of ski, boat, and board waxes that contain intentionally added per and polyfluorinated alkyl substance. In mid-March, the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee recommended 15-0 that the House pass the bill.
According to Valley News, the bill would add the waxes to a ban on PFAS-laden consumer products set to start in 2027. That legislation was passed last year and includes cosmetics, food packaging and containers, feminine hygiene products, and more.
PFAS can already be found in many places, from drinking water to soil to air. Current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS can lead to reproductive effects, developmental effects or delays in children, an increased risk of some cancers, interference with the body’s natural hormones, and much more.
The bill was most recently introduced to the New Hampshire Senate on March 27 and referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
