File #: T2025-4107    Version: * Name: Collection, exchange, and disposal program for firefighting personal protective equipment containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and reporting on such program.
Type: Introduction Status: Introduced
Committee: Committee on Fire and Emergency Management
On agenda: 11/12/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law in relation to a collection, exchange, and disposal program for firefighting personal protective equipment containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and reporting on such program
Sponsors: Joann Ariola
Council Member Sponsors: 1
Summary: This bill would require the Fire Commissioner to establish a three-year program to collect, exchange, and dispose of firefighting personal protective equipment issued to New York City Fire Department (FDNY) employees before January 1, 2028. The Fire Commissioner would have to exchange, to the maximum extent practicable, the collected equipment for equipment that the Commissioner knows does not contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as intentionally added chemicals and PFAS at or above a level established by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation by regulation. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection and Commissioner of Sanitation would have to make efforts to dispose of collected equipment, considering federal guidance and relevant New York State laws and regulations. The Fire Commissioner would have to conduct an outreach campaign for FDNY employees and issue an annual report to the Mayor and the Speaker of the Council on the program.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No., 2. Int. No.

Int. No.

 

By Council Member Ariola

 

A Local Law in relation to a collection, exchange, and disposal program for firefighting personal protective equipment containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and reporting on such program

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

 

Section 1. Collection, exchange, and disposal program for firefighting personal protective equipment containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. a. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:

Agency. The term “agency” has the same meaning as set forth in section 1150 of the New York city charter.

Firefighting personal protective equipment. The term “firefighting personal protective equipment” means any clothing designed, intended, or marketed to be worn by firefighting personnel in the performance of their duties, for use in firefighting and rescue activities, including but not limited to jackets, pants, shoes, gloves, helmets, and respiratory equipment. 

Intentionally added chemical. The term “intentionally added chemical” means a chemical in a product that serves an intended function or technical effect in the product or product component, including but not limited to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances within intentionally added chemicals and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are intentional breakdown products of an added chemical that also have a functional or technical effect in the product or product component.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The term “perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances” means a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon.

b. Program established. 1. Collection. The fire commissioner shall establish a program to collect firefighting personal protective equipment from employees of the fire department that was issued to them by the fire department prior to January 1, 2028.

2. Exchange. To the maximum extent practicable as determined by the fire commissioner, the fire commissioner shall ensure that an employee of the fire department that provides firefighting personal protective equipment for collection through the program established under this subdivision is able to exchange such equipment for firefighting personal protective equipment that the fire commissioner knows does not contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances as intentionally added chemicals and does not contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances at or above a level established by the department of environmental conservation by regulation pursuant to paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 391-u of the general business law, as added by chapter 58 of the laws of 2025.

3. Disposal. The commissioner of environmental protection and the commissioner of sanitation shall, in coordination with the fire commissioner and any other relevant agency head, make efforts to dispose of firefighting personal protective equipment collected through the program established under this subdivision. In making such efforts, such agency heads shall:

(a) Consider the latest guidance on the destruction and disposal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and materials containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances published pursuant to section 8961 of title 15 of the United States code;

(b) Consider any relevant requirements or prohibitions pertaining to disposal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances set forth in the environmental conservation law or regulations promulgated thereunder; and

(c) Make best efforts to consult with the department of environmental conservation and division of homeland security and emergency services on locations and methods for disposal.

c. Implementation. The program established under subdivision b of this section shall commence on January 1, 2028, or on a different date prescribed by the New York state legislature for commencement of the prohibition set forth in paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 391-u of the general business law with respect to any particular component of firefighting personal protective equipment. The duration of such program shall be 3 years, with respect to any particular component of firefighting personal protective equipment.

d. Outreach campaign. The fire commissioner, in coordination with the commissioner of health and mental hygiene, commissioner of environmental protection, and commissioner of sanitation, shall conduct an outreach campaign to inform employees of the fire department about the program established under subdivision b of this section. Such campaign shall include in-person outreach and shall utilize, at a minimum, the websites of the fire department, department of health and mental hygiene, department of environmental protection, and department of sanitation; television; internet; print media; and subway and other public transportation advertisements. Such campaign shall commence and cease upon the commencement and cessation of the program established under subdivision b of this section, with respect to any particular component of firefighting personal protective equipment.

e. Report. No later than 1 year after the first commencement date of the program established under subdivision b of this section, and annually thereafter for the total duration of such program, the fire commissioner, in coordination with the commissioner of environmental protection, commissioner of sanitation, and any other agency head involved in the implementation of such program, shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post on the websites of the involved agencies, a report regarding the firefighting personal protective equipment collected through such program. The report shall include, at a minimum, the following information for the previous 12 months:

1. The total number of components of firefighting personal protective equipment collected;

2. The types of components of firefighting personal protective equipment collected and the number of each type of component collected;

3. The remaining number of components of firefighting personal protective equipment issued to employees of the fire department prior to January 1, 2028 to be collected;

4. The number of instances in which an employee of the fire department attempted an exchange under paragraph 2 of subdivision b of this section and the number of instances in which such an exchange was accomplished; and

5. The number of components of firefighting personal protective equipment disposed of under paragraph 3 of subdivision b of this section and a summary of the methods used for such disposal.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

 

 

DPM

LS #19805

9/8/2025 9:49 AM