Rep. Carbajal’s ‘Clean Airport Agenda’ Combating PFAS Contamination Included in Bicameral Aviation Bill Agreement, on Track to Become Law

Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), a member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, announced that his slate of bipartisan bills designed to help communities curb the threat of forever chemicals near airports is included in the bicameral aviation policy legislation released earlier today.

Rep. Carbajal's bipartisan 'Clean Airport Agenda' includes his Pollution-Free Aviation Sites (PFAS) Act, which creates a new federal grant program for airports needing support to replace firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the Save Our Airports Reporting Act, which requires routine progress reports from federal agencies on phasing out foams containing the 'forever chemicals' shown to pose health risks to nearby communities.

Rep. Carbajal's bills are included in the bicameral aviation legislation under sections 762 and 767. Both bills are now on track to become law by the end of next week.

"Clean and safe drinking water is paramount to protecting the health of our communities. But our regional airports pose risks to that threat through no fault of their own. Their use of foams containing PFAS chemicals was a requirement of the federal government, and so we should ensure the federal government is helping them phase out these chemicals once and for all," said Rep. Carbajal. "My Clean Airport Agenda not only gives these airports a helping hand to transition to safer firefighting foams, but it also ensures we are holding federal agencies or their plans to phase out these toxic tools. I am proud to see agreement from all sides of Congress on this key priority, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law."

The legislative package announced earlier today, which authorizes the Federal Aviation Administration for the next five years, is expected to pass both chambers and be signed into law before the current authorization expires on May 10.

Rep. Carbajal unveiled the bills last October with the support of local airport leaders from San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Santa Maria Airport, and Santa Barbara Airport, and the endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters, California Airports Council, Airports Council International-North America, and the Environmental Working Group. The bills were co-led by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03).

Additional Background:

Rep. Carbajal has been working in Congress to address PFAS contamination since his first term in Congress.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Carbajal helped write and get signed into law in November 2021, contains $10 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS, through existing wastewater and drinking water infrastructure programs.

In 2019, Rep. Carbajal helped get legislation signed into law that required the Department of Defense to phase out PFAS-containing foams at military installations by 2024.