Read the full article by Kevin Passon (The Herald-Independent)
“Given the recent local and national media coverage regarding the potential environmental hazards of substances that contain the chemical compounds perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, known more commonly as PFAS, the Monona Fire Department is taking proactive measures to remove PFAS-containing firefighting foam from its fleet.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Monona Fire Department joined with Waunakee and other area fire departments in collaboration with contractor North Shore Environmental Construction Inc., to properly remove and dispose of firefighting foam containing PFAS. The PFAS foam was emptied from the fire apparatus tanks, stored in special containers and sent to the state of Oregon for proper disposal.
Specifically, the city of Monona removed 60 gallons of foam from the two fire engines that house firefighting foam.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), PFAS are part of a large group of synthetic chemicals used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s, and are often present in the firefighting foams used for petroleum and other high-hazard flammable liquid fires. Unlike other chemical compounds, PFAS are not removed or destroyed by conventional wastewater treatment processes…”