Action Alert: New Deadline - Please Urge Your House of Representatives Members to Join Letter Supporting Funding for PFAS Transition Grant Program in FY2025
New Deadline - Please Urge Your House of Representatives Members to Join Letter Supporting Funding for PFAS Transition Grant Program in FY2025
June 3,2024
New Deadline for the House Letter Supporting Funding for PFAS Transition Grants: Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) have extended the deadline for the letter requesting funding for the PFAS transition grant program in the upcoming FY25 THUD appropriations bill. The new deadline of Friday, June 7th COB for Members to join. As of Friday, 60 Members of the House have joined the letter (see list below). Sponsors of the letter are seeking additional co-signers. Please continue to contact your Representatives (House Directory) in Congress to request they join the letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
Congressional offices interested in signing should contact: Johanna Montiel in Congressman Carbajal’s office Johanna.Montiel@mail.house.gov or Jamari Hartley in Congressman Lawler’s office Jamari.Hartley@mail.house.gov
Current Co-Signers (as of 5/31): Reps. Carbajal, Lawler, Allred, Bera, Bilirakis, Blumenauer, Bowman, Brownley, Bush, Carter (LA-2), Castor, Correa, DelBene, DeSaulnier, Dingell, Fitzpatrick, Frost, Garcia (IL-04), Green (TX-09), Hoyle, Jackson (IL-01), Jackson Lee, Johnson, Khanna, Kiggans, Kildee, Krishnamoorthi, Larsen, Lawler, Lee (FL-15), Lee (PA-12), Lofgren, Malliotakis, Matsui, Molinaro, Moylan, Nadler, Norton, Pappas, Peters, Pettersen, Porter, Posey, Ramirez, Ryan, Sablan, Scholten, Smith (WA-09), Soto, Stansbury, Strickland, Swalwell, Thanedar, Thompson (MS-02), Tlaib, Trahan, Veasey, Velazquez, Weber, Williams (GA-05), Wilson (FL-24)
Background: The recently passed FAA Reauthorization law (P.L 118-63, Sec. 767) establishes a reimbursement program for airports to replace PFAS with non-fluorinated firefighting agents that meet military specifications. The program is authorized at $350 million, including $30 million for the replacement of certain firefighting vehicles, to airports based on the amount of firefighting foam each airport is required to maintain under current regulations. The Department of Transportation is required to establish the program within 90 days of the passage of the bill and airports are eligible for funding for acquisition of foam beginning September 12, 2023. In addition to the DOT’s establishment of the program, it is necessary for Congress to appropriate funds in the upcoming fiscal year to make these grants available.
Letter Text:
Dear Chair Womack and Ranking Member Quigley,
We write to express our support for fully funding section 767 of H.R. 3935, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. This section is pivotal to safeguarding our communities, environment, and public health by transitioning to fluorine-free firefighting foams at our nation’s airports.
We must transition away from traditional firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) because these chemicals can cause adverse health effects. The federal government has mandated airports to use PFAS containing firefighting foam for years, and it is in the federal interest now to help airports nationwide transition to fluorine-free foams as quickly as possible.
Section 767 offers a comprehensive approach to facilitate this critical transition, ensuring that airports of all sizes have the necessary resources and support to adopt safer, fluorine-free alternatives. This section authorizes $350 million in funding over five years to address the multifaceted challenges airports face in this transition. Funding through a new grant program would allow airports to purchase fluorine-free foam, clean and decontaminate their equipment, dispose of old foam stocks, and acquire new equipment. It also reserves $30 million for small airports to replace aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles.
The inclusion of this provision in the final version of the FAA Reauthorization Act is vital to safeguarding the health of our constituents and addresses the environmental risks posed by PFAS. It makes significant strides towards our shared goals of environmental stewardship and public health protection. We urge you to ensure that this new program is fully funded in the fiscal year 2025 Transportation-HUD appropriations bill. By doing so, we will demonstrate bipartisan leadership and a unified commitment to a sustainable and healthy future for all Americans.
We look forward to collaborating closely with you to advance this critical legislation. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your leadership of this subcommittee.
