Press Releases

Congressmen Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) led a call of more than 80 lawmakers today urging House appropriators to fully fund the new grant program they created to help airports replace firefighting foams containing harmful forever chemicals.

In May 2024, these lawmakers successfully passed their Pollution-Free Aviation Sites (PFAS) Act, which authorized $350 million over the next five years to help local airports as they replace firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The lawmakers are now seeking to include that funding in any year-end appropriations deal by reflecting the Senate’s draft funding bill introduced earlier this year.

“Helping airports transition to fluorine-free firefighting foam as quickly as possible would make significant strides towards our shared goals of environmental stewardship and public health protection,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Senate’s provision offers a comprehensive approach to facilitate the critical and timely transition to the newly approved fluorine-free foams, ensuring that airports have the necessary resources to purchase new foam, clean and decontaminate old equipment, acquire any new equipment, and dispose of old foam.”

The PFAS Act was signed by President Biden in May 2024 as part of the bicameral aviation policy legislative crafted in part by these lawmakers as members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The legislative package also included the Save Our Airports Reporting Act, which requires regular progress reports from federal agencies as airports phase out these ‘forever chemicals.’

The bills had the support of airport-focused and firefighter safety organizations such as Airports Council International – North America, Environmental Working Group, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and the American Association of Airport Executives.

The full text of their letter to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee can be found here:

Dear Chair Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro:

We write to express our strong support for a provision in S. 4796, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025, which would set aside $70 million for a new firefighting foam replacement program at U.S. airports. This provision, authorized under section 767 of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024, would safeguard our environment and protect public health by assisting airports in transitioning to fluorine-free firefighting foams.

Traditional firefighting foams – mandated by the FAA for use at our airports – contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which present potential adverse health effects to the environment and to humans. The Senate’s provision offers a comprehensive approach to facilitate the critical and timely transition to the newly approved fluorine-free foams, ensuring that airports have the necessary resources to purchase new foam, clean and decontaminate old equipment, acquire any new equipment, and dispose of old foam.

Again, we urge the inclusion of the Senate’s provision that would set aside $70 million for a new firefighting foam replacement program at U.S. airports. Helping airports transition to fluorine-free firefighting foam as quickly as possible would make significant strides towards our shared goals of environmental stewardship and public health protection. Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your leadership on the committee.