Rep. Brian Munroe of Bucks County announced that the Pennsylvania House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee has voted unanimously to advance House Bill 1261 for further consideration by the full PA House of Representatives.

According to Munroe, the bill “would prohibit the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of firefighting foam that contains toxic PFAS chemicals. PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are manmade ‘forever chemicals’ that have been linked to a wide range of serious health issues, including cancer.”

PFAS contamination has been found at the former Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster and nearby Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove.

“Last session we made real progress on this issue, and my hope this session is to finish the job, save firefighters’ lives, and keep our communities safe,” said Munroe. “PFAS-free foams are available and are already the standard for many fire departments in Pennsylvania. We can and will help phase these chemicals out for good, while ensuring even the most challenging fires can still be extinguished.”

To address these the threat posed by PFAS, HB 1261 would: 

• Ban the manufacture, sale and distribution of PFAS-containing class B firefighting foam starting July 1, 2026.
• Ban the use of PFAS-containing class B firefighting foam starting Jan 1, 2027.
• Require the warning labels of firefighter turnout gear that contains PFAS, an amendment offered by Representative Greg Scott that passed 15-11.

“Today was a crucial first step toward protecting Pennsylvanians and our firefighters from toxic PFAS,” Stephanie Wein, Clean Water and Conservation Advocate for PennEnvironment, said in a statement. “Given that effective alternatives exist, this measure is long overdue. It is time for Pennsylvania to join the ranks of the U.S. Department of Defense and the fifteen states from New Hampshire to Alaska in banning PFAS in firefighting foam. PennEnvironment is glad to see the bipartisan support for phasing out these “forever chemicals” and urge our leaders in Harrisburg to pass HB 1261 as quickly as possible.”

Dr. Resa Jones, the CDC’s principal investigator, has been studying the chemicals on behalf of Air Force veteran Joe McGrath, who served on Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove for 34 years. The ongoing study has also found that 375 of 1250 adults and five of 90 children tested, all of whom lived near Willow Grove, showed high levels of PFAS.

In December 2024, Aqua Pennsylvania announced the completion of a PFAS treatment system at its Hatboro well station.