Pennsylvania is phasing out toxic PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam under a new law signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro, with a sales ban kicking in starting July 1, 2027, and a near-total use ban following on Jan. 1, 2028. The move targets Class B foam after mounting evidence tied the so-called forever chemicals to contaminated water supplies and serious health problems across the commonwealth.
Shapiro signed the legislation, Senate Bill 804, into law this week, according to fox43.com. The bill bans the manufacture, sale and distribution of Class B firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS beginning July 1, 2027, the station reports.
The use restriction follows roughly six months later. The station's report notes that the use of PFAS-laced foam will be prohibited starting Jan. 1, 2028, though the law carves out exceptions for certain federally required foam and specific facility types.
Who Still Gets to Use It
Those carve-outs are notable. Per the Allegheny Front, the restrictions include exceptions for airports, chemical plants and oil refineries — facilities where fuel-based fires pose unique risks and where Class B foam has historically been considered essential. The outlet also notes the law requires safe disposal of existing PFAS-containing foam under state oversight, giving departments and facilities a formal pathway to get rid of stockpiled supplies rather than simply storing or dumping them.
The law doesn't stop at the foam itself. It also mandates warning labels on firefighter personal protective equipment that contains PFAS, according to a statement from Environment America. That provision acknowledges a growing body of concern that exposure risk isn't limited to foam spraying — it can extend to the gear firefighters wear on every call.
Why Firefighters and Waterways Are at the Center of This
The occupational exposure risk is well documented. Firefighters are at risk of occupational exposure to long-chain PFAS, most notably from the chemicals present in Class B aqueous film-forming foam, according to research published in ScienceDirect. That exposure pathway has been a driving concern behind foam-restriction efforts in multiple states.
The water contamination picture in Pennsylvania is stark. Environment America's statement cites a PennEnvironment report that found PFAS in 96% of rivers and streams tested throughout the commonwealth. PFAS have also turned up in drinking water sources across the state, including areas in southeastern Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley and Allegheny County, the Allegheny Front reports.
The health stakes behind the legislation are significant. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to a wide range of serious health problems including kidney and liver disease, immune system suppression, birth defects and cancer, according to Environment America. The U.S. Geological Survey says it is working with federal, state and local partners to monitor and evaluate PFAS levels in Pennsylvania's groundwater and surface waters, though that monitoring effort is described only in general terms.
Pennsylvania Joins a Wave of State Action
Pennsylvania isn't acting in isolation. States are charging ahead with their own PFAS legislation through 2026 while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues working on related federal regulations, according to Manufacturing Dive. New Jersey's law began prohibiting the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of PFAS-laced firefighting foam starting Jan. 8, though certain fixed foam suppression systems there may continue using it until Jan. 8, 2028, the outlet reports.
Other states are moving on similar timelines. New Mexico's proposed PFAS Protection Act would phase out firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS beginning in 2027, while Vermont law already prohibits manufacturers from making firefighting agents and equipment containing PFAS, per the same Manufacturing Dive report. Pennsylvania's phased approach — banning sales first, then use, while building in disposal and labeling requirements — reflects a broader pattern among states trying to balance public health concerns against the practical needs of fire departments and high-risk industrial sites still permitted to use the foam under exceptions.
