PFAS Foam Replacement Challenges Nation’s Fire Departments (1)

Fire departments face liability risks and potentially huge costs and uncertainties as they switch from PFAS-enabled firefighting foam, according to lawyers and groups working with them.

The Pentagon’s recent release of its requirements for firefighting suppressants that could substitute for PFAS-based aqueous film-forming foam increases the pressure on fire departments to stop using AFFF, said Bradley M. Pinsky, an attorney with the Pinsky Law Group, PLLC, which counsels fire departments and districts.

AFFF, used primarily by the military but also by civilian firefighters, has polluted drinking water across the country and raised concerns about potential harm to health, including an ...