Skamokawa Fire Department unloads toxic waste

Thursday March 26, marked a banner event for the Skamokawa Fire Department (FD). That's the day we finally got rid of the three big blue barrels (160 gallons) of obsolescent AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) concentrate that had besieged our floor space like three unwelcome guests we couldn't evict.

Although highly effective in suppressing fires - especially chemical and petroleum blazes - AFFF is also a nasty substance. Formulated to blend perfectly with water and resist extreme temperatures, AFFF is not only environmentally hazardous, but biologically indestructible. These overly-robust qualities earned the material a prominent place on the EPA's naughty list of hazardous "forever" chemicals that, as of 2018, could no longer be used for training, nor be disposed of conventionally. For most small Districts with threadbare budgets, this meant one thing: anyone still possessing AFFF after Jan. 01, 2018, was effectively "stuck with stuff."

Yes, there was the possibility of commercial removal thru specially-licensed hazardous waste-hauling companies, but with disposal fees hovering around $50/gallon (or about $8,000 estimated, in our case), that was not an option for us. Fortunately, however, an answer arrived in early 2025 when the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) launched a special state-sponsored AFFF disposal program for fire departments in our situation.

Needless to say, Skamokawa FD - and about 100 other small regional fire districts - eagerly signed up to take advantage of this unexpected governmental largesse. However, reaping the rewards of this "free" governmental service proved to be neither simple nor fast. In our case, the ensuing bureaucratic odyssey stretched 14 months from initial application to the actual pickup date. The final disposal phase of the program is no simple matter either. All AFFF material needs to be processed in Federally-approved incineration facilities, the closest of which, for our region, is located an hour west of Salt Lake City in Aragonite, Utah. This is where our three big blue barrels of AFFF will meet their final demise. With that comforting thought, we in Skamokawa can finally declare victory, reclaim 15 square feet of floor space, and say good riddance to our unwelcome guests.