ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke penned an opinion piece for RealClearPolicy today about the urgent need for a national transition plan for PFAS-free firefighting foam at U.S. airports. In the op-ed, he details the years of delay in the federal government identifying a PFAS-free alternative and warns that continued delay in addressing this important issue will unnecessarily delay the rollout of PFAS-free firefighting foams and increase their cost.

Burke criticizes the missed opportunity in the recent U.S. House defense authorization bill to direct the relevant federal agencies to work with industry stakeholders to develop a meaningful national strategy to distribute and deploy fluorine-free foams and then fund an acquisition and storage/disposal program to assist airports in transitioning to the new foam. He concludes by calling on the U.S. Senate to do the right thing and address this important issue in its upcoming defense bill:

“Time is of the essence in developing a national transition plan and funding the foam replacement as a smooth transition to PFAS-free firefighting foam requires a well-coordinated process among multiple agencies and stakeholders.  Congress must act quickly to direct the FAA, EPA, Department of Defense, and others to start working with industry stakeholders immediately to develop and implement a workable national transition strategy to PFAS-free firefighting foam at our nation’s airports and military installations.”

The full op-ed is available here.

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