⁄Spotlight⁄ BY GARRETT ANDREWS PFAS FIREFIGHTING FOAM was common in emergency services not that long ago. But the field has a far greater focus on employee health and safety today than when Jay Alley started in the 1980s. For decades firefighters were taught that it was as safe as dish soap. When working with it, in training and in the field, they’d often use their bare hands. “Of course back then, three-fourths of those guys smoked like chimneys,” says Alley, now chief of Stayton Fire District. “But over the years there have been great enhancements to safety. And of course, with that comes a cost.” Compared to even five years ago, the field of emergency services is now far more aware of the risks of firefighting foams that contain poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade in nature. Extensive and ongoing research finds PFAS can contaminate groundwater and lead to a range of human health problems. A 2016 study by the U.S. Geological Survey documented PFAS contamination in drinking water in 33 states, an estimated 45% of the nation’s tap water. Many affected communities are located near firefighting training facilities, airport hangars, military bases and industrial sites. It’s considered a major problem because exposure to PFAS is known to have harmful effects on humans, including developmental effects on fetuses and young children. Other studies point to possible links to cancer, a subject of increasing concern to firefighters, who are afflicted by the disease at a rate notably higher than the general population. PFAS chemicals are highly resistant to heat, water and oil — properties that make them ideal for smothering fuel-based fires like those that can break out in airport hangars and garages. As a result, foams containing Removal From Action Firefighting foam containing cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’ is being phased out in Oregon — but its legacy will linger. PFAS have been an industry standard since the 1960s, and most agencies keep small amounts on hand. But safe and effective foam alternatives now exist, and a statewide effort is underway to collect and dispose of what’s left of Oregon’s dangerous PFAS fire foam. A bill in Salem that passed out of both chambers of the Legislature and was headed for the governor’s desk as this issue went into production would make Oregon the 16th state to ban PFAS foam and establish a date next summer to phase out all remaining inventory around the state. SB 91 PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLAN Jay Alley, chief of the Stayton Fire District, holds a hood on the left that is PFAS-free and an older hood on the right that contains PFAS. Crystal Weston is the policy director at Oregon Environmental Council. 14
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