(Seattle, WA) – Today Congress directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow airports to use firefighting foam free of highly fluorinated chemicals or PFAS. PFAS-containing firefighting foam is responsible for the contamination of drinking water of millions of Americans across the country, including in the Washington state communities of Issaquah, Whidbey Island, and Airway Heights.
The new provision is included in the recently passed FAA Reauthorization Act. It follows the passage of a Washington State law earlier this year to prohibit the sale of PFAS-containing foam. The state law did not apply to certain airports because of the federal law requiring use of the foam. The elimination of the federal requirement for PFAS-containing foam at airports means that Washington’s ban will eventually apply to the state’s airports.
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