Gillibrand, Rep. Maloney Announce Bill To Protect Firefighters From PFAS

February 22, 2021

Read the full article by Allison Dunne (WAMC News)

New York U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney were in Newburgh Monday announcing legislation to protect firefighters from PFAS.

The two Democratic federal lawmakers were at the City of Newburgh Fire Department, where they announced the PFAS Firefighter Protection Act. Gillibrand says the legislation would build on New York State’s efforts to restrict foams containing PFAS. It also sets deadlines for airports for prohibiting the use of PFAS firefighting foams.

“It would put much needed new prohibition in place against using firefighting foam that has PFAS chemicals,” Gillibrand says. “It would create a federal ban on the manufacture, importation and sale of firefighting foam that contains PFAS within two years of enactment.”

On the job for a matter of days, Newburgh Fire Chief Francis Spinelli talks about how the legislation would affect firefighter crews in the city and across the country.