SPS Technologies on Tuesday, Feb. 18, continues to smoke. Photo by James Short.
Several members of Congress, led by Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, have reintroduced the PFAS Accountability Act. The bill would establish a federal cause of action for people harmed by PFAS exposure and give courts the authority to order medical monitoring for affected communities.
Under the legislation, individuals with significant PFAS exposure could seek medical monitoring to detect health problems linked to the chemicals before they result in serious illness or death. The bill would also allow victims to bring civil claims against PFAS manufacturers and would support additional research into the health and safety impacts of PFAS.
Locally, PFAS has been an issue surrounding the rebuilding of the Willow Grove Naval Air Base and the SPS Technologies building fire.
Supporters of the bill argue that PFAS contamination has harmed communities across the country, particularly through drinking water, and that existing legal frameworks make it difficult for exposed individuals to obtain compensation or ongoing medical care. Research has linked PFAS exposure to cancer, immune system suppression, reproductive harm, and developmental effects in children, often emerging years after initial exposure.
Environmental and public health organizations backing the legislation include Waterkeeper Alliance, the American Association for Justice, Environmental Working Group, NRDC, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, among others. These groups emphasize that medical monitoring is especially important because PFAS-related illnesses can take years to appear and are costly to treat.
Advocates say the bill would shift more of the financial burden of PFAS contamination from affected families to the companies that produced and profited from the chemicals, while also encouraging stronger oversight and prevention of future contamination.
