BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Lawmakers have advanced their latest effort to restrict firefighting foam containing so-called forever chemicals.
The measure cleared a key hurdle in a renewed push to address longstanding concerns over toxic exposure among firefighters and environmental contamination.
Senate Bill 980 was approved Tuesday by the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.
“This is a proactive step in getting this out of firefighting foam.”Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton
It would prohibit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — or PFAS — beginning later this year.
“This is a proactive step in getting this out of firefighting foam,” Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, one of the co-sponsors of the legislation, said in a phone call.
SB 980 was referred to committee in August — a companion bill to similar legislation passed unanimously in the state House a month before.
Miller said despite several bills on the move in Harrisburg, there was “a lot of bipartisan support” on the issue.
‘Our responsibility to those who risk their lives’
PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they persist in the environment and the human body, with growing research linking exposure to a broad range of health risks.
Firefighters are at a particularly high risk of exposure, with PFAS found in firefighting foam and turnout gear worn for protection on the job.
"This bipartisan legislation takes decisive action to phase out dangerous substances, protecting the long-term health of our frontline heroes while preventing lasting contamination of our soil and water."State Sen. Nick Miller
"This bipartisan legislation takes decisive action to phase out dangerous substances, protecting the long-term health of our frontline heroes while preventing lasting contamination of our soil and water,” Miller said in a news release.
"It reflects our responsibility to those who risk their lives in service to our communities.
"I look forward to advancing this bill as we put the well-being of those who serve at the forefront, safeguard public health, and advocate for environmental protection."
State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Bradford/Lycoming/Sullivan/Tioga/Union, acknowledged firefighters face disproportionately high exposure levels compared to other emergency responders, particularly through the use of legacy firefighting foams.
“PFAS contamination is a national public health challenge, and this bill is a commonsense response, which has already been adopted by many states,” Yaw, the bill’s prime sponsor, said in the release.
“This bill will undoubtedly protect firefighters moving forward, while also safeguarding our ground and surface water from contamination.”
A broader health debate
The bill’s advancement comes amid continued scrutiny of PFAS exposure in firefighting, an issue that has been the focus of ongoing reporting at LehighValleyNews.com.
Previous coverage highlighted how PFAS chemicals are found not only in firefighting foam, but also in turnout gear worn by firefighters, raising concerns about repeated exposure during both emergency response and routine training.
Researchers and fire service advocates have pointed to the gear as a potential long-term exposure pathway, even as departments begin phasing out legacy foam products.
At the same time, attention has increasingly turned to firefighter cancer rates and early detection efforts.
Fire departments across Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley have expanded cancer screening programs and health monitoring initiatives in response to evidence that firefighters face elevated risks for several types of cancer, a trend linked in part to chemical exposures on the job.
Cancer caused 66% of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002 to 2019, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.IAFF
Local fire officials and advocates have repeatedly pointed to PFAS as one piece of a broader occupational health challenge that includes smoke exposure, contaminated equipment and the cumulative effects of long-term service.
Cancer caused 66% of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002-19, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Multiple Lehigh Valley firefighters have died from cancer more recently including Allentown fire training instructor Chris Koskeravage, former city fire marshal Jeff Tomczak and Emmaus and Lehigh Township firefighter April Lubenetski.
SB 980 would let fire companies use Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant funding to cover the cost of disposing of PFAS-containing foam.
Disposal would be overseen by the State Fire Commissioner in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
It also includes exemptions for certain high-risk facilities such as airports, chemical plants and refineries where specialized foams may still be required.
The legislation now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
