CTEH: Containing AFFF Runoff & PFAS Risk

Stephen Pepper, senior consultant for PFAS programmes at CTEH, explores ways for storage terminals to stay safe and compliant when managing firewater The management of firewater is an essential and often neglected part of the overall industrial fire protection challenge, especially for facilities using aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) to extinguish flammable liquid fires. Operators of tank storage facilities are under increasing pressure to manage the risks of contamination to the soil and/or groundwater, as the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) are coming under greater regulatory scrutiny due to their persistence in environmental media and health concerns. Yes, SFFF (synthetic fluorine-free foams) are a modern alternative to AFFF, but they do not change the need to have robust firewater management practice. Uncontrolled firefighting run-off, from either AFFF or SFFF, can lead to serious financial liabilities, including multi- million-dollar clean-up and remediation bills, fines, penalties and high costs to a company’s reputation. This article, adapted from a presentation delivered at the LASTFIRE Symposium in Vernon, France, on 2...