MT. PLEASANT, MI (MPRN)-- At the same time state officials are working to fight contaminants left over from firefighting foams, the state fire marshal says the foam is still being stocked at fire stations across Michigan.
The problem is firefighting foams contain perfluoroalkyl compounds, a family of chemical compounds that have been linked to cancer and other health problems in humans.
Kevin Sehlmeyer is the State Fire Marshal. He says his office surveyed 1,000 fire stations across the state to determine how many still have firefighting foams with PFAs in them.
“Six hundred and twenty-eight fire departments have responded and 280 of the 628 fire departments have Class B foam,” he says.
Class B foam contains PFAS. Sehlmeyer says the foam is still best way of putting out chemical fires, although researchers are looking for alternatives.
He says when fire departments use the foam to put out fires they have to alert the Department of Environmental Quality.