FAA New Guidance: An Update on Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting Vehicle AFFF Cleanouts

We wanted to share a brief update on our recent efforts to minimize waste and reduce residual Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) post-cleaning (or rebound) in Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) cleanouts.

Here’s what you should know.

You may have seen the recent FAA CertAlert regarding single water rinsing. This aligns closely with the approach the Department of Defense is taking. However, relying solely on a single water rinse can create a misleading sense of 100% liability protection, as there will still be residual PFAS in the trucks (rebound).

ECT2, a Montrose subsidiary, is an innovative leader in the industry for waste reduction and PFAS treatment. With an extensive R&D facility, we’ve been actively developing solutions and methods for AFFF system cleaning to mitigate rebound.

We recently conducted an ARFF truck cleaning in South Carolina using our technology, and the results were promising:

• Our rinse solution and methods demonstrated less than a 2% rebound after 33 days, compared to the 50% rebound seen with a triple water rinse. Considering the new FAA guidance advocating for a single rinse of water, this presents a significant advantage in reducing liability associated with truck cleaning and rebound management.
• Additionally, our solution offers cost savings, as the solution generates less waste than a conventional triple rinse. Refer to the image below. (Blue bars represent a triple water-only rinse with a 50% rebound 33 days after cleaning; green bars indicate only a 2% rebound 33 days after cleaning).

Next Steps

If you’re interested in learning more about our process and rebound results, please contact our team.