Controlling Board approves continuation of contract to destroy firefighting foam chemicals; agency to provide follow-ups

The State Controlling Board approved a continuation of an Ohio EPA contract to destroy aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing PFAS chemicals, with the agency saying the problem was more widespread than initially expected and that the current contractor had proprietary destruction technology.

Sam Smith, speaking for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, told the board the work being contracted is the actual destruction of AFFF stockpiles and not merely a study. "They're actually handling the destruction of the AFFF," Smith said. He added that the material has been found not only at fire departments but also at airports and other entities, making the need "fairly pervasive."

Smith said some funding for the work came from a legal settlement with Monsanto and that the agency had used dollars from that settlement and a PCB advisory board process to select projects. He told the board the original contract awarded in January 2024 was roughly $3 million, and the one-year continuation request draws on remaining settlement funds. Smith said Battelle and its subsidiary Revive had the only available technology that could destroy the AFFF at the time of the original contract.

Board members asked about substitute materials and timing; Smith said the agency would follow up with details on replacements for banned training foams and on the original contract start date. Senator Ingram asked for confirmation that the original January 2024 contract had been spent down; Smith replied that the continuation covers remaining dollars and will take the contract through June 2026. The item was approved; the agency noted follow-ups will be provided to the board.