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House approves 'solar-ready' warehouses bill after tied votes on PFAS and local-control amendments
Summary
Lawmakers passed a bill requiring new large-scale warehouses to be solar-ready after rejecting multiple PFAS-related bans and a local-veto amendment by tied or narrow votes. The floor saw heated exchanges over PFAS risks, school protections, and local authority.
The Pennsylvania House approved legislation requiring large new warehouses and distribution centers to be built 'solar-ready' but repeatedly rejected amendments aimed at restricting PFAS-containing solar panels and at giving residents local veto power over mega-warehouses.
Representative Heffley raised health and environmental concerns, arguing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are commonly used in solar-panel backsheets and anti-reflective coatings and could leach into soil and water as panels degrade. He urged members to ban PFAS-containing panels near schools and on school property. Sponsor Representative Rusnock (spoke in opposition to the amendments) said the proposal before the House was not an agreed-to amendment and disputed that the targeted PFAS chemistries were present in the panels discussed on the floor.
Several amendments produced recorded tie votes (for example, a school-safety PFAS ban and a local-control amendment both failed with 99–99 tallies). Representative Emmerich’s amendment to give local residents the authority to approve or reject mega-warehouse siting was presented as a local-control measure but failed after debate over whether it would override local elected officials.
After a string of tied or failed amendments, the House agreed to the bill as printed and the bill will be reprinted following floor action. The official record notes concerns and close votes on PFAS questions and local authority; sponsors said broader PFAS legislation is being considered elsewhere in the General Assembly.
Next steps: The bill is scheduled for final enrollment and transmittal to the Senate; senators may raise PFAS or siting concerns in that chamber or in conference negotiations.
