News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
91.7FM Alpena and WCML-TV Channel 6 Alpena are off the air. Click here to learn more.

State funding for PFAS disposal program

Flickr User Manchester Fire
/
https://flic.kr/p/f5bnWV

The state of Michigan has approved new funding to collect and dispose of PFAS -containing foam.

The seven-month program will safely dispose of more than thirty thousand gallons of class B aqueous film forming foam. Firefighters use the PFAS-containing foam to extinguish gasoline, oil, and jet fuel.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy gave US Ecology of Livonia the one point four million dollar contact.

"US Ecology will go out and collect this foam from the various fire departments. Many of which have told us they don't need it, don't use it, sometimes they inherited it from industrial customers or from airports that just didn't need anymore. So, a lot of it has been sitting around unused but it represents a risk."

The liquid will be solidified, then go to a hazardous waste landfill.