BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A bipartisan bill in the Pennsylvania Senate aims to protect firefighters and communities from toxic chemicals long linked to cancer — a move given urgency by the recent deaths of firefighters in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Senate Bill 980, introduced Wednesday by State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Bradford/Lycoming/ Sullivan/Tioga/Union, and co-sponsored by Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, would phase out the manufacture, sale and use of firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, beginning in 2026.
The legislation follows years of warnings from health experts and fire service leaders that PFAS — so-called “forever chemicals” — linger in soil, water and the human body, contributing to serious illnesses, including multiple cancers.
The push to protect firefighters
"Firefighters can face extremely high levels of PFAS exposure compared to other emergency responders,” Yaw said in a release, calling the proposed legislation a "commonsense response."
"This bill will undoubtedly protect firefighters moving forward, while also safeguarding our ground and surface water from contamination," he said.
The issue hits close to home.
In recent years, Chris Kiskeravage, a veteran Allentown firefighter, and Fire Marshal Jeff Tomczak, who spent more than half his life serving at fire departments in the region, both died after cancer battles that family, friends and colleagues say were tied to the job.
"This bill will undoubtedly protect firefighters moving forward, while also safeguarding our ground and surface water from contamination."State Sen. Gene Yaw
In May, Bethlehem firefighters became the first in the state to undergo a new two-minute screening that could help detect esophageal cancer before it’s too late. A month prior, they hosted Gov. Josh Shapiro as he touted key initiatives, including annual cancer screenings for firefighters to be covered by the state.
Angela Malpedo, the daughter of a Bethlehem firefighter lost to cancer, was among those at the event pressing for state-level action to support first responders.
Lewis Malpedo was diagnosed with multiple myeloma following his retirement, and he linked the cancer to work-related causes, just like many of the men he worked with.
He battled the illness for three years and died at age 68 in February 2020.
The string of deaths have rocked local departments already aware of the elevated cancer risks facing firefighters, and some already have taken action.
“We moved away completely from foam that contained PFAS last year and are currently using Versagard AS100,” Allentown’s Captain of Public Affairs Jon Hammel said.
“This includes our training cache, which is the training version of (Versagard). I know this has been a topic of discussion for a couple of years in the region and that the City of Bethlehem along with a handful of other departments have moved to PFAS-free foam.”
Fire Chief Henry Hennings confirmed the Easton Fire Department also is using a similar product.
The fluorine-free foam is a pseudoplastic foam technology advertised as non-persistent, siloxane-free, with no intentionally added PFAS chemicals.
“We moved away completely from foam that contained PFAS last year."Allentown FD Capt. of Public Affairs Jon Hammel
House and Senate bills address PFAS
Miller said the legislation reflects conversations with firefighters across the Lehigh Valley.
“Based on my direct conversations with firefighters in my district, it is evident they require support now more than ever,” he said in the release.
“This legislation prioritizes their needs and protects those who selflessly serve our communities.”
Under the bill, fire companies could use state grant funding to help pay for the safe disposal of PFAS-containing foam.
"This legislation prioritizes their needs and protects those who selflessly serve our communities.”State Sen. Nick Miller
The State Fire Commissioner and Department of Environmental Protection would oversee proper disposal to prevent further contamination. Certain facilities, such as airports, chemical plants and oil refineries, could continue using PFAS-based foams until safe alternatives are available.
Hammel also pointed to House Bill 1261 — co-sponsored by Lehigh Valley Reps. Zachary Mako, R-Lehigh/Northampton, and Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh — as a "big step forward for the firefighting community as well as the health of our communities."
That bill, which calls for phasing out the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also "contains labeling specifications for protective gear to make it clear that it is present in some quantity," Hammel said.
HB1261 received final passage in the House on July 1 by a vote of 202-0. Two weeks later, it moved to the Senate for consideration.
The current text of the bill would ban the sale of firefighting foam containing PFAS starting in 2026, and the use of such products in 2027, with exceptions for federal requirements.
It would task the state fire commissioner with identifying alternative products and working with the Department of Environmental Protection to properly dispose of PFAS products.
Enforcement and penalties
If the bill becomes law, it would make Pennsylvania the 16th state to ban PFAS-containing firefighting foam, according to the nonprofit environmental health coalition Safer States.
The bill also would require manufacturers of personal protective equipment used in fire prevention, firefighting or fire control activities “to affix a warning label to such product sold for use in this Commonwealth that indicates if the product contains an intentionally added PFAS chemical.”
Overall, the bill would require the DEP to take and investigate complaints of violations and refer any offenses to the state attorney general. Violations could carry civil penalties of $5,000 to $10,000, which would be used for fire company and emergency medical service grants.
Similarly, manufacturers of gear containing PFAS who fail to include a warning label also would be subject to the same civil penalties.
