Seattle Airport removes ‘forever chemicals’ from firefighting vehicles
The Port of Seattle Fire Department at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), working with TRS Group (TRS), is the first airport in the United States to use the PerfluorAd process to remove and thoroughly clean aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), which contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes called “forever chemicals”, from all its aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles.
Randy Krause, Fire Chief, Port of Seattle Fire Department, and Megan King, Contaminated Soil and Groundwater Programme Manager, Aviation Environment and Sustainability, Port of Seattle, have established a regional centre at SEA to help smaller, local airports clean their vehicles.
TRS is the North American licensee of the PerfluorAd technology, which not only cleans the firefighting systems but also concentrates the waste stream, minimising offsite waste disposal, supporting onsite wastewater discharge, and reducing costs and liability.
“If you put dishes in the dishwasher and use cold water, do they come out clean? No,” Krause said. “You need warm water and a cleaning solution. TRS does just that with PerfluorAd. The result is clean ARFF vehicles.”
David Fleming, a founder of TRS and the business development manager for PerfluorAd, added: “Randy Krause and Megan King are leading the effort to protect firefighters and the environment from these harmful compounds.”
