Read the full article by Patricia Kime (Military.com)
“The Pentagon is expected to request an extension to an Oct. 1 deadline set by Congress to stop using firefighting foam that contains hazardous ‘forever chemicals’ at more than 1,500 facilities and in thousands of vehicles and portable equipment worldwide, according to a new report.
The Department of Defense announced last September that after nearly a decade of research it had finally identified a fluorine-free foam that met its needs for replacing its current firefighting foam, known as aqueous film forming foam, or AFFF, which contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS.
According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, however, the transition to the fluorine-free foam will not occur this year; instead, the DoD likely will ask for an extension through 2026 to make the switch.”…