Capito’s bipartisan Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act to become law

The U.S. Senate on Dec. 1 approved a bipartisan bill U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) helped author to reduce contamination at commercial airports from toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

“I’m pleased my colleagues joined our effort to advance this legislation through the Senate, recognizing the importance of testing airport rescue and firefighting equipment without dispersing dangerous PFAS chemicals into the environment,” Sen. Capito said on Dec. 2.

The Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act, S. 3662, sponsored in February by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) and five original cosponsors, including Sen. Capito and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), first received approval from the Senate on Sept. 6.

The U.S. House of Representatives then voted 381-42 to pass an amended version of S. 3662 on Sept. 29 and sent it back to the Senate for reconciliation. The Senate on Thursday gave unanimous consent to the amended House version of S. 3662.

Once enacted, the bill will deploy more existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding for commercial airports to purchase devices necessary to test their firefighting equipment without discharging toxic PFAS chemicals, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Capito’s office.

The bill also will incentivize commercial airports to purchase the low-cost devices to help limit and prevent exposure to PFAS, which are known as forever chemicals because they do not naturally break down, the summary says.

“The FAA requires regular testing of firefighting equipment, which may put undue burdens on regional, commercial airports, and lead to the discharge of harmful chemicals like PFAS,” said Sen. Capito. “Specifically, the Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act would benefit several airports in West Virginia — like Yeager, Greenbrier, and Mid-Ohio Valley — and improve overall safety of their operations.”