California is notorious for having the most stringent body of environmental law in the nation. For better or worse, the state is consistently on the forefront of passing environmental regulations long before the rest of the country, including the federal government. Thus, it is unsurprising that the state has taken an aggressive approach on regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—the “forever chemicals” that have become the subject of hundreds of lawsuits throughout the nation.

PFAS are a family of synthetic chemicals that have been used for decades to make commonly used products, including nonstick cookware, food packaging, water- and wrinkle-resistant fabrics and firefighting foam—or aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). They are known as “forever chemicals,” because they resist degradation and are highly persistent in the environment.