WASHINGTON – On November 9, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined Congressman Kildee (MI-05) and Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) to send a letter to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging the agency to ensure airports are able to use PFAS-free firefighting foam.

In 2018, Congress directed the FAA to change its rules so that commercial airports could switch to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-free firefighting foams. The October deadline to do so has passed, and current FAA regulations have not been updated.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “We were pleased to see that the FAA issued an alert to airports on October 5, 2021, announcing that the airport firefighting foam standards no longer requires that foam “shall consist of fluorocarbon surfactants,” (i.e. foams must contain toxic PFAS chemicals), as required by Congress in Section 332. However, because the FAA has not authorized the use of any alternative PFAS-free foams, provided any information about applying the UL 162 performance requirements to fluorine-free foams at airports, or updated the current military performance standard requirement, airports are not allowed or in a position to make the switch at this time.”

“As Members of Congress who represent communities impacted by PFAS pollution from airports, we are urging the FAA to act swiftly to address this urgent issue,” the lawmakers continued. “Any delay in updating the current performance requirements and authorizing a PFAS-free alternative will continue to exacerbate the potential contamination of ground and drinking water supplies by PFAS, endangering in the health of those who reside in communities near airports.”

PFAS is the key ingredient in a special kind of firefighting foam, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) typically used on high-heat fuel fires. For decades, AFFF has been discharged during fire emergencies and routine training exercises at airports and has resulted in large releases of PFAS into nearby drinking water sources, exposing people to these chemicals linked to cancer and thyroid disease. While over 100 viable PFAS-free firefighting foams are already available and being used at international airports across the world, current FAA regulations still do not recognize these foams.