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PFOS & PFOA News

Expeditionary civil engineers upgrade fire retardant foam
Firefighters from the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron upgraded their inventory of aqueous film forming foam to a more environmentally friendly version of the fire retardant, Jan. 6 at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group.
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Air Force applies new EPA guidance
The Air Force will apply new Environmental Protection Agency guidance for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) to its ongoing effort to determine if water supplies at its U.S. installations and in local communities are at risk for contamination.
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AF awards replacement firefighting foam contract
The Air Force has awarded a $6.2 million contract to replace firefighting foam used in fire vehicles with an environmentally responsible foam to reduce the risk of possible contamination of soil and groundwater.
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Air Force and PFOS/PFOA

firetruck with firefighting foam
           
In response to the Environmental Protection Agency's health advisories for two types of perfluorinated compounds, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, the Air Force has been working to identify all sites on installations where those PFOS or PFOA may have been released as part of a firefighting effort or training scenario.

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is sampling at all installations with a suspected firefighting foam release to confirm whether firefighting foam may have been released and if PFOS or PFOA are present in the groundwater.

As the Air Force conducts sampling, several factors are considered such as:
  • Depth to groundwater
  • Possibility for the contaminant to move offsite
  • Possible pathways for the contaminant to reach drinking water sources
Should a drinking water source be identified that has potential for contamination, the Air Force will conduct testing. If testing confirms levels above the EPA health advisory levels, the Air Force will take immediate action to ensure people have access to drinking water below health advisory levels and will begin action to address the contamination sources.

To prevent releases of firefighting foam in the future, the Air Force limits use of the foam to emergency responses only and, in those situations, immediate action is taken to ensure containment. The Air Force is committed to eliminating firefighting foam containing either PFOS or PFOA from its inventory, and is finalizing a phased plan to replace existing firefighting foam inventories with a recently approved environmentally responsible foam.