On June 25th, a video showing a malfunctioning fire suppression system at a National Guard post in Vermont discharging over 800 gallons of chemical-based foam was spread through social media.
The footage showed the South Burlington National Guard hangar’s roof spewing foam in torrents. An alarm went off in the background as the footage showed the helicopter hangar being filled with toxic foam. Hundreds of gallons of concentrated aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) were discharged by the system. Fires involving combustible substances, such as jet fuel, are extinguished with AFFF.
Foam specifically designed to combat fires involving highly combustible liquids is known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Hydrocarbon foaming agents and fluorinated surfactants are the usual ingredients in AFFF products. The solution has the necessary interfacial tension properties when combined with water to create an aqueous film. This film then covers the surface of a hydrocarbon fuel, putting out the flame and preventing re-ignition by creating a barrier of vapor between the fuel and air oxygen.
Quality superintendent Bob Fischer described it as like a white bubble bath. As a result of the incident, the National Guard determined that roughly 150 gallons of foam made it into South Burlington’s wastewater system, according to the source.
Col. Jacob Roy, the officer in charge of construction and facilities management for the Vermont National Guard, said the environmental risk was substantial, and they preferred not to risk having further leaks. Collaborating with other entities, the Vermont National Guard managed and contained the leak.
Contractors from the National Guard had been clearing and testing the facility, sewage pipes, pump station, and wastewater treatment plant on a regular basis. The outlet also said that they conducted pollution tests on the waters of the adjacent Winooski River. According to Matt Chapman, head of Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation Waste Management, the Winooski River typically flows at a rate of around 5,000 gallons per second.
