Michigan firefighters have new rules for when they use firefighting foam containing industrial chemicals known as PFAS.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation last week that requires local fire departments not to use PFAS in training drills and to report any other use of the firefighting foam within 48 hours.
“It does add another layer (of reporting)”, says Jeff Roberts, the president of the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs. “But I don’t see it as a bad regulation.”
The new law also requires state regulators to create a program to collect firefighting foam concentrate containing intentionally added PFAS from local fire departments.
“By signing these bills into law, we ensure any time a fire department uses firefighting foam that contains PFAS, the state is notified and the foam can be disposed of, so these forever chemicals don’t seep into our drinking water and needlessly harm Michiganders,” Whitmer said in a written statement.
Firefighters would have to be trained in how to handle the chemicals. PFAS have been linked to serious health issues, including cancer.
