Alaska firefighting departments must cease using fire-suppression foams containing PFAS chemicals under a new law effective July 22nd.
According to a report from Alaska Beacon, the legislation, Senate Bill 67, passed nearly unanimously and became law without Governor Mike Dunleavy’s signature.
The law targets Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), linked to health issues like developmental delays and cancers.
The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified PFAS as contaminants found in various products and the environment.
The compounds are notably used in industrial firefighting foams at airports and military bases.
The Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Defense are transitioning to PFAS-free alternatives.
The new law also creates a system for rural villages to dispose of PFAS-containing foams, with reimbursement from the Department of Environmental Conservation.
This initiative is the result of years of work by environmental and health organizations, including Alaska Community Action on Toxics.
Pamela Miller, the executive director, stated: “We have worked for more than six years to pass this legislation with strong support from affected communities throughout Alaska, firefighters, and health professionals.”
The bill was sponsored by Senator Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, representing Gustavus, where PFAS contamination affected drinking water.
Despite its wide support, the PFAS bill took an unconventional route to becoming law.
Initially included in House Bill 51, which aimed to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the PFAS provisions were later separated.
Governor Dunleavy vetoed the combined bill last year.
This year, a standalone version introduced by Kiehl passed, with changes made by the House Finance Committee, including adjustments for village reimbursement and wording modifications.
The Department of Environmental Conservation is developing a website to guide villages on PFAS disposal and reimbursement.
Stephanie Buss, the department’s contaminated sites program manager, indicated the site should accept reimbursement requests by January 1.
Some exemptions exist for the ban, allowing oil facility fire crews more time to switch to non-PFAS foams, which must be certified as safe by the state fire marshal.
This provision acknowledges the high-risk nature of fires at oil facilities.
Alaska’s new law, effective July 22nd, bans the use of firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals.
This legislation, Senate Bill 67, was passed with near-unanimous support and aims to mitigate the health and environmental impacts of PFAS.
It provides a reimbursement system for small villages to dispose of PFAS foams, with detailed guidelines to be available by January 1.
Some exceptions are made for oil facility fire crews until certified PFAS-free alternatives are available.
The law results from extensive efforts by environmental and health organizations and marks a critical step in protecting Alaskan communities from harmful chemicals.
