Smart PFAS Policy Should Protect Health, Not Create New Barriers for Small Contractors
In this op-ed, Intact founder and president Edwardo Rikprashad argues that Minnesota's new PFAS reporting law is well-intentioned but risks slowing projects, raising costs and creating new barriers for small contractors and developers before the state's reporting system is ready to handle real-world conditions.
In neighborhoods across the Twin Cities, restoring older buildings is about more than construction; it’s about preserving history, protecting community character, and creating opportunities for small, local businesses to grow.
I’ve seen what happens when we lose that. Beautiful buildings fall into disrepair, and with them, pieces of our shared history disappear. But I’ve also seen what restoration can do, bringing places like the Pioneer Endicott in St. Paul back to life, while supporting the skilled trades and small contractors who make that work possible.
That’s why I’m concerned about how Minnesota’s new PFAS reporting law will play out on the ground.
Its goal of protecting public health is important. But the state’s reporting system isn’t ready. Right now, it can’t handle many of the materials we rely on, especially older or salvaged products where chemical data simply doesn’t exist.
For small developers, contractors, and tradespeople, many of whom are working to build businesses and create generational stability, that’s a real problem.
We depend on accessible materials to keep projects moving and costs manageable. When those materials suddenly become unavailable because they can’t be reported properly, projects slow down or stop. Costs go up. And when costs go up, it’s not the large corporations that feel it, it’s small businesses, workers, and the communities they serve.
There’s also a bigger issue at stake. Policies that don’t account for how work actually gets done risk creating new barriers to entry, especially in industries where more people are trying to build ownership and long-term wealth.
We also risk creating unnecessary waste. Perfectly usable materials could be discarded or shipped out of state, even as communities here struggle with rising construction costs and limited housing supply. That kind of waste doesn’t help anyone.
A one-year reporting extension is a commonsense solution. It would give the state time to fix the system so it works in the real world, for small businesses, for contractors, and for the communities counting on them.
We can protect public health and support economic opportunity at the same time. But we must get the implementation right.
Edwardo Rikprashad is the Founder and President at Intact, a commercial construction & commercial cleaning service and maintenance company in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
