HARRISBURG, Pa. – Yesterday, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, along overwhelmingly bipartisan lines, adopted a policy that will protect the health of Pennsylvania’s fire fighters and our environment from exposure to toxic per & polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
The policy, which was taken from SB 980 PN1975 and amended into Sen. Lisa Boscola’s (SD 18) SB 804 during consideration in the State House, will prohibit the manufacture and sale of Class B firefighting foam containing PFAS starting in July 2027 and prohibit its use starting in January 2028. The policy also requires warning labels be affixed to any personal protective gear (PPE) that contains PFAS.
Representatives from the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 302 Allentown, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1 Pittsburgh, PennEnvironment, Clean Water Action, Conservation Voters of PA, Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter and Clean Air Action Fund partnered to advocate for the passage of this policy and collaborated with legislators including Rep. Jared Solomon (HD 202), Rep. Brian Munroe (HD 144), Zack Mako (HD 183) Sen. Gene Yaw (SD 23) and Sen. Nick Miller (SD 14) to help shape the language for it.
“Firefighters run toward danger to protect us. They shouldn’t be exposed to cancer-linked chemicals in the very foam they use to do that job. Safer, PFAS-free alternatives are already available, which makes Senate Bill 804 a commonsense step to protect our first responders and keep forever chemicals out of Pennsylvania’s drinking water. I want to thank Senator Lisa Boscola, Senator Nick Miller, Senator Jarrett Coleman and Senator Gene Yaw for their leadership in getting this done. A 49-1 in the senate and 252-1 vote in the house shows this isn’t a partisan issue. I look forward to Governor Shapiro signing it into law,” said Robert R Brooks, President, Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association.
“In these hyper politicized times, the near unanimous support this policy received throughout the entire legislative process from Democrats and Republicans is a testament to the partnership that was formed between environmental groups and fire fighters,” said Steve Hvozdovich, Pennsylvania Campaigns Director at Clean Water Action. “When the 911 call in the opposite direction came in, I’m proud to say we were ready to answer it and accomplished something together that further addresses the prevalence of PFAS in Pennsylvania.”
“This is a crucial step toward protecting our firefighters and our drinking water from toxic PFAS.” added Stephanie Wein, Clean Water and Conservation Advocate at PennEnvironment. “Our firefighters take risks everyday to save lives and we owe it to them to reduce the risk posed by PFAS chemicals in the line of duty. The broad support this bill received is evidence of the bipartisan commitment to stemming the toxic tide of PFAS.”
“The passage of this bill is an important step towards protecting the health of the firefighters that work hard to keep our communities safe, while also safeguarding our soil and groundwater from chronic contamination. We were proud to work with IAFF Local 302 and our fellow environmental organizations to address one of the worst sources of contamination in our Commonwealth. This shows what we can accomplish when we are united around a shared goal,” said Katie Blume, Political & Legislative Director for Conservation Voters of PA.
‘This law delivers real protection for Pennsylvania’s drinking water and environment by phasing out a major source of PFAS contamination, while also addressing the serious health risks firefighters face from these forever chemicals. This progress reflects what can happen when firefighters, environmental advocates, and lawmakers work together to find common ground and turn shared concerns into meaningful action,’ said Jen Quinn, Legislative Director at the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter.
“This is a win for our land and our drinking water, but it is also a well-deserved win for our firefighters,” said Sean Hoffmann, Legislative Director of Clean Air Action. “Every one of us is regularly exposed to harmful PFAS, but because of the extreme concentrations of PFAS in firefighting foams, our firefighters face far greater risks. This is a victory for everyone across the political spectrum who worked on this, but the firefighters themselves deserve the most credit for making it happen. We should all feel good about helping those who so selflessly risk their lives to keep us safe every day.”
PFAS have been nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to a wide range of serious health problems including kidney and liver disease, immune system suppression, birth defects and cancer. Due in part to exposure to toxic PFAS, cancer is now the top cause of line-of-duty deaths amongst firefighters.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has attributed the presence of PFAS in firefighting foam to drinking water contamination cases across the Commonwealth, from Willow Grove in southeastern Pennsylvania to Emmaus in the Lehigh Valley to Moon Township in Allegheny County.
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Since the organization’s founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking, and people power to the table.