Forest Protection and Firefighter Safety: Streamlining Fire Suppression
This new law simplifies the use of fire retardants from aircraft to combat wildfires, exempting government agencies and their contractors from certain water discharge permit requirements. This aims to accelerate and improve firefighting efforts, potentially enhancing public safety and property protection in fire-prone areas.
Key points
Federal, state, and tribal agencies, along with their contractors, can now drop fire retardants from aircraft without needing specific water pollution permits, speeding up wildfire response.
The law protects these entities from lawsuits related to water pollution during firefighting operations, provided they use approved substances and follow established guidelines.
These provisions are temporary and will expire five years after enactment, unless extended or replaced by new regulations.
Expired
Citizen Poll