Pa. House passes bill to ban sale, use of firefighting foam with ‘forever chemicals’

by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
July 1, 2025

Pennsylvania would ban the sale of firefighting foam containing so-called forever chemicals that have polluted groundwater in dozens of sites across the state, under legislation passed unanimously Tuesday in the state House.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Brian Munroe (D-Bucks), spoke on the floor about the illness and fear across his district as a result of drinking water polluted by firefighting chemicals used for decades at the former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster Township.

“Over those decades, Warminster and the surrounding communities grew. To provide water to these new communities … millions of dollars were spent on our public water system. As of 2015 the Warminster Municipal Authority served over 30,000 residents in Warminster alone.”

That’s when testing alerted officials and residents to the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in groundwater that was being drawn from municipal wells and used in the community’s public water system. Warminster had three of the most polluted wells in the nation, Munroe noted.

PFAS are human-made chemicals that have also been used since the 1940s in a wide range of products including nonstick and weather-resistant coatings. Because they are slow to break down in the environment, PFAS have been dubbed forever chemicals and are found in the blood of people and animals around the world.

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In addition to the cost of finding a new, safe source of drinking water, people were overcome by worry that the pollution was the cause of illness among neighbors throughout the community and that it could affect them in the future. 

“I can tell you from the thousands of conversations with parents and residents in the township, everyone has a story of cancer clusters in my neighborhood,” Munroe said. “I have heard of nightmare stories of children diagnosed with rare cancers. I have shared hugs with more people than I can count who have been recently dealt with the blow of receiving a cancer diagnosis — the horrific fear that hangs over every single street in Warminster Township.”

Munroe has been diagnosed with cancer twice himself, he said. While his family underwent blood testing to detect levels of PFAS in their bodies, Munroe said he was not tested because he is a firefighter. 

According to the National Institutes for Health, exposure to PFAS is an occupational hazard for firefighters. Sources include foam containing PFAS, but also turnout gear that contains the chemicals to make them more water and dirt resistant. Munroe’s bill would require manufacturers to label personal protective equipment that contains PFAS.

“We owe it to our fellow firefighters to allow them to make educated decisions about the PPE they use and the risk involving and being exposed to PFAs in firefighting gear,” Rep. Gregory Scott (D-Montgomery) said. “They deserve to know that the gear they’re using could potentially impact their health later in life.”

Because PFAS were flagged as cause for concern only in the last two decades, it’s still unclear how harmful these chemicals are, but scientific studies have repeatedly shown exposure imay be linked to harmful health effects including cancer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Also used in foaming agents used to fight fires involving aircraft and aviation fuels, PFAs contamination is commonly found in groundwater in the areas around military bases. That includes the Naval Air Warfare Center in Bucks County, where the U.S. Navy began testing new aircraft and systems in the 1940s through the 1990s.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PFAS have been found in at least one location in 19 counties. The EPA adopted drinking water regulations for six PFAS in 2024. It set the maximum contaminant level for two of the most common PFAS at 4 parts per trillion.

Munroe’s House Bill 1261 would ban the sale of firefighting foam containing PFAS, starting in 2026 and would ban the use of such products in 2027, with exceptions for federal requirements. If the bill becomes law, Pennsylvania would be the 16th state to ban PFAS-containing firefighting foam, according to the nonprofit environmental health coalition Safer States.

It would task the state fire commissioner with identifying alternative products and working with the DEP to dispose of leftover PFAS products after the ban takes effect. 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. 

H.B. 1261 now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

 

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Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.