How could two states come to contrary conclusions over PFAS?

摘要

Most Fire Services when considering moving to Fluorine Free Foam (F3) agents, have done so knowing that Major Hazard Facilities in their areas are protected by proven more effective fluorinated foam agents. These provide the fuel shedding capability and film forming additives critical to deliver fast, effective, efficient and reliable fire control and extinction. Leading more environmentally benign short-chain PFAS (C6) based agents have shown equivalency in effectiveness with such legacy C8 products. This ensures critical life safety of site personnel, emergency responders and the wider community are adequately protected, while also minimising the risk of escalation, reducing toxic smoke emissions, reducing foam usage and potentially noxious runoff generated. Fire Services can confidently use these fluorinated agents on sites when responding to major incidents to quickly gain control and limit damage, including to the environment. The same cannot be said of F3 agents where forceful application and fuel in depth fires are concerned. F3s are usually slower, require higher application rates, often suffer unpredictable flashbacks, can burn from fuel pick-up and may overflow containment areas, leading to wider environmental pollution from the incident.