PFAS authority hits ground running to meet deadlines
Creating a new authority to provide state grant funding for PFAS cleanup was a yearslong effort by lawmakers, but the hard work is just beginning.
The new Military Installation Remediation and Infrastructure Authority (MIRIA) met for the first time Thursday, with officials saying they are under a tight deadline to create state grant programs that will ultimately help pay for the remediation of chemicals linked to firefighting foams on local military bases.
Rep. Todd Stephens, R-151, of Horsham, said at the meeting the MIRIA board members and authority staff will “hit the ground running” to set up a “dedicated, recurring revenue stream” for water providers and municipalities by June.
Drinking water wells in Horsham, Warminster and Warrington near the bases were shuttered in 2016 after the Environmental Protection Agency set a lifetime health advisory limit for PFAS of 70 parts per trillion in drinking water.