Gov. Wolf To Announce PFAS Funding In Horsham

HORSHAM, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf will pay a visit Thursday to Horsham, where he is expected to announce new state funding to address unsafe chemicals that have infiltrated water supplies in the area.

Wolf plans to announce the state money will pay for the treatment of PFAS in Bucks and Montgomery counties. PFAS (Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) have been found in water in Horsham, Warminster, and other nearby communities.

The chemicals are believed to have leached into the groundwater from a firefighting foam used at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Willow Grove, officials have said. In Horsham, contaminated water led to Aqua Pennsylvania shutting downs its wells, and spurred widespread concerns about the safety of drinking water in the region.

Wolf's announcement will mark a new phase in Pennsylvania's response to the contamination. In the past, the governor's office helped fund PFAS filtration systems for several townships to combat water contamination from toxic substances.

Wolf is scheduled to speak at a well on Meetinghouse Road in Horsham at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

In February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will begin setting limits this year on the two man-made chemicals, which have been linked to cancer and other illnesses.

Acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler said Region 3, which includes Pennsylvania, would be the first place that the action plan is rolled out. He made his announcement in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, Horsham has been working on its own plan for addressing PFAs and ensuring safe drinking water since 2016. Starting in 2017, the township worked with federal, state and local agencies to build its own water distribution facilities to meet "The Horsham Standard."

Local officials have pushed to be reimbursed by the federal government for at least part of the work because the contaminants are believed to have come from the naval base.