Lawmakers And Environmental Groups Are Generally Pleased The DOD Is Phasing Out AFFF

Significant progress has been made in the battle to ban the use of AFFF firefighting foam

Wednesday, September 6, 2023 - The US Department of Defense (DOD) recently told reporters that they will no longer buy aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) from manufacturers 3M, DuPont, and dozens of other sources. The move comes in the wake of dozens of AFFF lawsuits and continued pressure from environmental activist groups like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and many others. Numerous environmental advocacy organizations have fervently campaigned for the prohibition of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), particularly due to its association with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their adverse environmental impacts. These groups, known for their dedication to safeguarding our ecosystems, include the Environmental Working Group (EWG), Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, Blue Water Baltimore, Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. These organizations have consistently lobbied for stricter regulations and the pursuit of alternatives to AFFF, aligning their missions with the broader goal of mitigating PFAS contamination and its detrimental consequences on both the environment and public health. US lawmakers have been criticized for dragging their feet on the issue of AFFF water contamination cancer and discontinuing purchasing AFFF by the military marks a significant victory in the fight to stop polluting the environment. The DOD intends to completely phase out AFFF by the end of 2024 according to sources.

Environmental activists remain vigilant to not only make sure that the DOD follows through on its promise to stop purchasing AFFF but also to see that its replacement is more deadly than the original. "The replacement for Aqueous Film Forming Foam has yet to be determined, and advocates are frustrated it's taken so long to halt the use of a product containing a "forever chemical" that at high levels of exposure may lead to increased risks for cancer, among other effects. The pace of cleanup at potentially contaminated military installations and nearby communities also has come under scrutiny by Congress," according to Colorado Newsline. Colorado is the home to Peterson Air Force Base where cancer-causing firefighting foam containing carcinogenic PFAS forever chemical is used extensively. CNL told readers that lawmakers will continue to keep an eye on the problem until a viable solution is in place. " The problem with PFAS is it's a highly effective fire remedy. The other problem, of course, is it's indestructible," House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Ken Calvert, R-Calif., told States Newsroom. "So we need to find a solution. We need to find a replacement. It's been a lot harder than expected, but they're working on it." "Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, a former U.S. Army officer and a member of the Armed Services Committee said there are concerns about how exactly the Defense Department is phasing out PFAS and if the replacements will be as good as the firefighting foam it uses now," reported CNL.

Information provided by AFFFLawsuitCenter.com, a website devoted to providing news about AFFF and PFAS cancer, lymphoma and leukaemia claims, including a free no-cost, no-obligation AFFF Lawsuit Claim.