New Jersey works to destroy firefighting foam laced with cancer-linked PFAS
New Jersey is one of more than a dozen states that are working to collect, remove and destroy all of their aqueous film-forming foam.
Burlington County, New Jersey — Hundreds of New Jersey fire departments are getting rid of foam proven to put out flames. Why?
"It was like sitting on a bomb," Jacobstown Volunteer Fire Chief Robert Gancarz told CBS News. "How am I going to get rid of this?" Jacobstown's fire station had used a firefighting foam called aqueous film-forming foam , or AFFF, since the mid-1980s. Gancarz eagerly got rid of all 580 gallons of it.
"The very tools I am using can cause health problems," Gancarz said. "They can kill you."
AFFF is also laced with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances , PFAS, commonly called "forever chemicals." Studies link AFFF exposure to higher cancer rates among firefighters.
"We process it directly through our super critical water reactors," said Rick Gillespie, CEO of Revive Environmental. "And what comes out of those reactors is clean water."