A bill written by Michigan Sen. Gary Peters that aims to lower the levels of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at commercial airports has passed the Senate and will be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
“By making testing equipment that prevents the spread of PFAS contamination more affordable for airports, we can better protect not only our environment but also families, first responders and the Great Lakes from these toxic chemicals,” said Peters, a Democrat and member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “My bipartisan Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act will use commonsense, fiscally responsible means to reduce PFAS contamination in communities across the country and I’m pleased it will soon be law.”
According to Peters' Senate website, the bill passed the House in February and recently passed the Senate unanimously. The bill aims to allocate funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help commercial airports buy devices with which they can test firefighting equipment without having to discharge foam that contains PFAS.
PFAS have been linked to several cancers, such as kidney, ovarian, liver and prostate, according to a release by the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation. PFAS are used in firefighting foam as well as items such as food packaging and nonstick cookware, the report said.
Airports must follow federally mandated tests of firefighting equipment, but discharging the foam increases the risk of firefighters, the public and the environment being exposed to PFAS, Peters wrote on his website.
PFAS are referred to as "forever chemicals," because once released into the environment, they do not break down naturally, the release added.
Kansas Republican Jerry Moran, who introduced the bill with Peters, added that the legislation would "help promote the health and wellness of firefighters and aviation employees at commercial airports, as well as protect the communities that surround them." The testing of firefighting equipment should not cause firefighters or nearby residents to be exposed to toxic chemicals, Moran added in the release.
Airport and conservation officials across Michigan lauded the bill as a critical step to water safety.
“Toxic PFAS contamination is a major threat in communities across Michigan, and this legislation will help reduce exposure to PFAS at commercial airports, one of the key sources of contamination,” Bentley Johnson, Federal Government Affairs director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, said in the release. “We commend Sen. Peters and sponsors of this legislation for taking proactive steps to protect our health and begin to start tackling this water contamination crisis.”
