Pentagon Shift to PFAS-Free Foam Spurring ‘Tidal Wave’ of Change

Kevin Ferrara spent his career working around a wispy white chemical foam that could douse the hottest jet-fuel fires he fought, and was still considered harmless.

“Just like soap and water,” Air Force officials said of the firefighting foam Ferrara’s teams relied on, trained with, waded through, and even sprayed around giggling kids during the base’s annual Fire Prevention Week. “We believed it.”

Decades later, the former Air Force firefighter has diabetes, elevated cholesterol, and higher-than-average per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in his blood. And the Pentagon knows the PFAS-based foam he worked with had a noxious side.

In January, ...