Though the bill to ban firefighting foams in Alaska had widespread support in both the State House and Senate, Governor Dunleavy vetoed it for several reasons.
The aqueous film-forming foams, or AFFFs, are classified as PFAS (Pee-Fahs), also called forever compounds. They are used at many airports, including the Talkeetna Airport. There are no alternative options for fighting fuel-based fires. If the bill had been signed into law, Alaskan airports would be left without a way to fight fires.
Shannon McCarthy, Director of Communications for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, or DOT, says that once a new firefighting foam is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the legislation would make more sense. She says that the bill would have required the DOT to hire a contractor to collect and transport the foams, which would open the State to liability. It also removes a firefighting tool that has no substitute.
The AFFFs require complicated transportation and disposal, an issue that is nation-wide and one that has not been resolved yet. The bill would have required DOT to assist local governments to handle that transportation and disposal. That would leave small communities vulnerable.
Until there is a suitable alternative, the AFFFs will remain in use.
