The Georgia Forestry Commission is exclusively using water to contain wildfires that have burned more than 2,000 acres across the state in recent days, as it stays away from the type of firefighting foam that has sparked over 10,000 lawsuits and more than $10 billion in settlements.
Commission officials said Monday they don’t use aqueous film-forming foam, known as AFFF, which contains the controversial substances known as “forever chemicals” that don’t break down in the environment.
More than 10,000 lawsuits against the makers of the foam, including 3M, are consolidated before a federal judge in South Carolina. Settlements to resolve parts of the ongoing litigation include 3M’s pledge in 2023 to give more than $10 billion to public water systems tasked with treating contaminated water.
The commission does use firefighting foam at times, but none containing the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, associate fire chief Bo Chesser said. He said the commission typically uses a different class of foam products such as SILV-EX Plus, or concentrated powder mix like PeatFireX or BLAZETAMER380.
During the past week, the commission has only used water on the wildfires, Chesser said Monday. Officials responded Saturday to more than 130 wildfires that burned 2,390 acres across the state, including in Lumpkin, Walker, Early and Rabun counties.
Crews are also battling wildfires in North and South Carolina. A spokesperson for the South Carolina Forestry Commission said Monday that they’re using water and BLAZETAMER380 on the fires.
It’s not immediately clear to what extent the firefighting foam containing PFAS has been used in Georgia. Gov. Brian Kemp limited its use in 2019 to emergency situations, after tests at Georgia’s three air bases showed extensive environmental contamination of groundwater caused by the foam.
The use of AFFF products is being phased out by the U.S. Department of Defense and others while the related litigation enters its seventh year. In the recent Los Angeles fires, a red flame retardant called Phos-Chek was used by firefighters, NPR reported.
Other court cases about PFAS use and contamination are playing out nationwide, including in Georgia, where the chemicals have been used in carpet manufacturing.
State legislators are considering a bill that would grant broad immunity to carpet companies and municipalities accused of tainting public water supplies.
Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set its first limits on PFAS levels in drinking water.
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