State Rep. Brian Munroe’s Bill to Ban the Use of Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Firefighting Foam Slated for PA House Vote

As more and more information has come out about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, local governments have worked to try to wipe out their use. In Harrisburg, State Rep. Brian Munroe of Bucks County’s 144th District is the primary sponsor of a bill that will ban these toxic “forever chemicals” from firefighting foam. 

House Bill 1261, which advanced out of the Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness House Committee last week, would prohibit the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of firefighting foam that contains toxic PFAS chemicals.

The goal for Munroe is to “save firefighters’ lives, and keep our communities safe.”

READ: Democratic State Lawmakers Want to Clean Up Pennsylvania by Banning PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’

“PFAS-free foams are available and are already the standard for many fire departments in Pennsylvania,” he said. “We can and will help phase these chemicals out for good, while ensuring even the most challenging fires can still be extinguished.”

PFAS have been linked to a wide range of serious environmental and health issues, including cancer. The former Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster, which is in Munroe’s district, and nearby Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, have both been sites that have tested positive for PFAS. Due to the chemical use at the Warfare Center, some private wells that used groundwater in Warminster, Ivyland, Northampton, and Southampton have tested positive and are now unusable.