BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A Lehigh Valley legislator has announced his intent to introduce a bill limiting "forever chemicals" in firefighting foam across Pennsylvania.
State Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, along with Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Bradford/Lycoming/ Sullivan/Tioga/Union, plan to introduce legislation that would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, beginning in 2026.
"By limiting the use of harmful substances, we’re taking meaningful action to safeguard the long-term health of our frontline heroes and to prevent these toxins from seeping into our soil and contaminating local water supplies."Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton
“For years, firefighters across Pennsylvania have bravely protected their communities while facing repeated exposure to hazardous chemicals,” Miller said Monday in a news release.
“This legislation protects those who protect us. By limiting the use of harmful substances, we’re taking meaningful action to safeguard the long-term health of our frontline heroes and to prevent these toxins from seeping into our soil and contaminating local water supplies.
“I’m proud to work in a bipartisan way with Sen. Yaw to take real steps toward eliminating preventable harm to both our firefighters and our environment.”
PFAS in the Lehigh Valley
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in consumer products since the 1940s, but have been nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they are incredibly slow to break down once introduced into the environment, and can contaminate groundwater.
They’re prevalent and found in products as diverse as drinking water and food, and household and personal care products, and have been linked to a variety of health problems, including liver and immune-system damage and some cancers.
PFAS have been recorded in at least four streams in the Valley. However, there have been efforts locally to mitigate further contamination.
In November, officials at Bethlehem Landfill cut the ribbon on its new $2 million PFAS treatment plant. It’s the first of its kind in the United States and uses foam fractionation to remove forever chemicals from water that has flowed through garbage in the landfill.
Emmaus’ efforts to remediate its four wells have been costly and well-documented, after firefighting foam used for decades at the Klines Lane firefighting training grounds, as well as other locations, was found to be the source of PFAS contamination.
In January, state officials announced Emmaus would get $11.78 million in state grants and loans through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority or PENNVEST to remediate two PFAS-contaminated wells.
‘A national public health challenge’
Through the legislation, fire companies could use Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant funding to cover the costs associated with properly disposing PFAS-laden foam.
In addition, the state Fire Commissioner would work with the state Department of Environmental Protection “to ensure responsible and environmentally sound disposal practices.”
“PFAS contamination is a national public health challenge, and this bill is a commonsense response, which has already been adopted by many states. This bill will undoubtedly protect firefighters moving forward, while also safeguarding our ground and surface water from contamination.”State Sen. Gene Yaw
The bill would maintain “an exception for facilities where PFAS-based foam remains critical for safety, including airports, chemical plants, oil refineries and terminals or storage sites handling flammable liquids or natural gas,” according to the release.
“Firefighters can face an extremely higher level of PFAS exposure compared to other emergency responders,” Yaw said.
“PFAS contamination is a national public health challenge, and this bill is a commonsense response, which has already been adopted by many states.
"This bill will undoubtedly protect firefighters moving forward, while also safeguarding our ground and surface water from contamination.”
