Horsham Encouraged By Federal PFAs Response

HORSHAM, PA — Officials in Horsham, where concerns about contaminated water have swirled for years, say they're encouraged by federal environmental officials' announcement Thursday that they'll address the issue nationally.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday said it will begin setting limits this year on two man-made chemicals found widely in soil and water that are linked to cancer and other illnesses. Former EPA head Scott Pruitt had promised last year to address the chemicals, called PFAs (Polyfluoroalkyl Substances).

PFAS 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.

Last year, top EPA officials held a public hearing on the matter in Horsham.

"We are appreciative that (acting EPA Administrator Andrew) Wheeler specifically acknowledged the challenges Horsham has faced as a result of the PFAs contamination," Horsham Township leaders said in a joint news release Friday.

"We here in Horsham are very proud of our pro-active efforts addressing the PFAs contamination in our drinking water. After some delay, we are encouraged and supportive of EPA’s efforts to boldly address the multi-faceted impacts of this contamination to drinking water, soils, and storm water nationwide. The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated."

Wheeler announced that Region 3, which includes Pennsylvania, will be the first place that the action plan is rolled out. He made his announcement in Philadelphia.

"The PFAS Action Plan is the most comprehensive cross-agency plan to address an emerging chemical of concern ever undertaken by EPA," Wheeler said. "For the first time in agency history, we utilized all of our program offices to construct an all-encompassing plan to help states and local communities address PFAS and protect our nation’s drinking water."

Critics have complained that the timetable for the reforms is too slow, saying that Thursday's announcement amounted to yet another "kicking the can" technique by the EPA. The plan is supposed to be rolled out by the end of the year.

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."

"With the cooperation and leadership of EPA, we look forward to remediation of all sources of the PFAS contamination, completion of health studies to provide answers about impacts to health due to past exposure, and the recovery of costs so that our residents do not continue to bear the added financial burden necessary to ensure their own health, safety and welfare," Horsham officials said.

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