Ohio Expands Program to Destroy Toxic Firefighting Foam
More than $13 million will fund the removal of PFAS-containing foam stored by fire departments, emergency agencies and airports
COLUMBUS — Ohio is expanding a statewide program designed to collect and permanently destroy thousands of gallons of toxic firefighting foam containing chemicals linked to cancer and other serious health concerns.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director John Logue announced Thursday that more than $13 million from Ohio’s recent DuPont settlement will be directed to the state’s Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Takeback Program.
The program allows eligible fire departments, emergency management agencies and airports to turn over old AFFF supplies for safe destruction at no cost to the participating agencies.
“Until we launched this program, fire departments in Ohio had no way to safely get rid of this foam, and we didn’t have an accounting of how much foam could still be out there. Now we know that there is a lot,” DeWine said.
“We’re expanding the AFFF Takeback Program to help more local fire departments responsibly dispose of these dangerous PFAS chemicals to protect the public, the environment, and the firefighters who risk their lives for the safety of others.”
Since Ohio launched the first-of-its-kind program in 2024, more than 13,500 gallons of toxic firefighting foam have been collected from 118 fire departments and two airports and permanently destroyed.
However, the Ohio EPA estimates that at least 60,000 gallons of AFFF containing PFAS remain in storage across the state.
AFFF was commonly used by fire departments and airports to smother fires involving gasoline, oil and other flammable liquids. Many departments have since moved to PFAS-free alternatives after research showed that the chemicals can persist in the environment and contaminate water, soil and air.
PFAS are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they break down extremely slowly.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, exposure to PFAS may affect the immune system, increase the risk of certain cancers, affect fertility and interfere with the growth and development of infants and children.
“The past two years have shown how dedication, innovation, and collaboration continue to be fundamental pillars in our state,” Logue said. “This partnership has taken thousands and thousands of gallons of harmful ‘forever chemicals’ permanently out of commission, and we’re taking what we learned and building on that momentum to expand this program into its next round.”
Eligible Ohio fire departments, emergency management agencies and airports can register their foam for destruction through Sept. 4, 2026.
The program’s initial round was funded with $3 million from Ohio’s settlement of a polychlorinated biphenyl enforcement case against Monsanto. Ohio EPA awarded that funding to Revive Environmental, which uses Battelle’s PFAS Annihilator technology to permanently destroy the material.
The takeback program is one part of DeWine’s broader effort to reduce PFAS exposure across Ohio. Previous measures have included testing public drinking-water systems, surveying major rivers for PFAS contamination and banning the use of AFFF during firefighter training exercises.
The news photo was created above using a image generator.
