What is the Replacement of AFFF Foam?

GFFF is a foam replacement that does not contain fluorine and that is safe for firefighters and others to use. It is a Class B foam, but it is non-carcinogenic and not toxic.

How Much PFAS is in Firefighting Foams?

Different types of foam have different levels of PFAS, so it depends on the type you have been exposed to.

AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit – September 2023

Do you qualify to file a Fire Fighting Foam (AFFF) lawsuit?

Have you been exposed to AFFF or Fire Fighting Foam?
Have been diagnosed with cancer, including kidney, testicular, ovarian, breast, prostate, lymphoma or leukemia?

If you answered ‘yes’ to both questions, we believe you qualify. Call us now at 585.460.2193 to talk to someone about your case or submit your information online. We are accepting cases nationwide.

AFFF Lawsuit Updates – September 2023

September 18, 2023 – Progress expected soon in AFFF Lawsuit Cases

While the municipality water contamination lawsuits against companies such as 3M, Dupont, and others works its way towards resolution, we expect movement shortly after with respect to individual cases, such as firefighters. It is possible that we may see a bellwether trial (or test case) in the next few months. In multi-district litigation cases such as this, typically tens of thousands of cases are filed in one federal court. Only a few cases are actually selected for trial. These bellwether trials are used to gauge how juries will react to evidence and testimony and often the set the basis for future settlement negotiations for the remaining cases. Our firm is still taking cases of those who had direct exposure to AFFF firefighting foam and we later diagnosed with certain illnesses such as cancer and others like ulcerative colitis.

Read previous AFFF firefighting foam lawsuit updates.

Firefighting Foam (AFFF) Lawsuit Background Information

Firefighting foam, or AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam), is a synthetic foam that is used to put out class B fires (fires in flammable gases or liquids, such as gasoline). It was developed in the 1960s by the US Navy and has since been used to extinguish fires at military facilities, oil tankers, chemical plants, fire departments, airports, flammable liquid storage facilities, etc.

Some AFFF firefighting foams contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), nicknamed “forever chemicals”. PFAS chemicals are known to remain in the human body, as well as the environment, indefinitely. PFAS substances in firefighting foam have been linked to water contamination and serious health conditions in people who have been exposed to them.

If you have symptoms that could be caused by firefighting foam, you may be able to file a lawsuit and claim compensation. Contact King Law today to check if you’re eligible for a case.

You may see some of the manufacturers of PFAS-containing AFFF below:

Manufacturer	Product Name	Current State
3M	Lightwater	No longer produced (as of 2002)
Ansul, subsidiary of Tyco	Ansulite	Still produced
National Foam, Inc., subsidiary of Kidde-Fenwall	Aer-O-Lite Aer-O-Water Centurion Universal	Still produced
Chemguard	Chemguard	Still produced
Chemours	FM-200	Still produced

What Is Firefighting Foam Made Of?

There are 2 classes of firefighting foams, named after the class of fire they are meant to put out:

Class A firefighting foams are used to extinguish “ordinary combustibles” such as paper, cloth, rubber, wood, and many types of plastic. Class A foams are commonly used to combat wildfires. Class A foams are mainly made of synthetic surfactants and do not contain PFAS. Class A foams soak into burning fuel in a way water would not. This means a fire is less likely to restart than if water alone was used. They are not effective on burning liquids.
Class B foams are used to extinguish flammable liquids (NFPA considers liquids with a flash point under 100°F flammable). Common examples of flammable liquids are gasoline, oil, diesel, acetone, and propane, as well as alcohols.
- Water is heavier than many flammable liquids so if you spray water on e.g. gasoline, the gasoline floats to the top and keeps burning. Class B foam forms a layer above a burning liquid preventing oxygen from reaching the fuel.
- There are 4 types of Class B foam:
  - Protein foams (don’t contain “forever chemicals”)
  - Synthetic fluorine-free foams (also don’t contain “forever chemicals”),
  - AFFF, which contains PFAS giving it properties for quickly covering liquids
  - Alcohol-resistant aqueous film-forming foams (AR-AFFF) which are (as the name suggests) resistant to alcohol, which can break down bubbles.

Firefighting Foam Cancer Lawsuits

Firefighting aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) may contain the PFAS compounds;

perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). There is no way to excrete PFAS compounds and their carbon-fluorine bonds are very hard to break down so they accumulate in the body. This accumulation of PFAS can cause illness e.g. thyroid diseases and several types of cancer.

Some of the health conditions that have been linked to AFFF firefighting foam include:

Increased cholesterol levels
Decreased vaccine response in children
Changes in liver enzymes and liver damage
Changes in the immune system
Fertility issues
Changes in fetal and child development
- Decreased weight in newborn babies and infants
Increased risk of high blood pressure
Increased risk of asthma
Increased risk of developing cancer

The following illnesses have been linked to PFAS exposure:

Colorectal Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Kidney Disease
Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid Disease
Testicular Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Bladder Cancer
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Liver cancer
Ulcerative Colitis
Uterine Cancer

Since the potential side effects of AFFF exposure can be severe, it should come as no surprise that those affected may want to file an AFFF lawsuit. There are over 4,790 plaintiffs in firefighter foam lawsuits as of June 2023.

Companies that supplied AFFF firefighting foam to fire departments, military bases, airports, and others are the defendants named in AFFF lawsuits. These companies include 3M, AGC Chemicals, Amerex Corp., Archroma, Badger, Chemdesign Products, Chemours, Chemguard, Chubb Fire, Corteva, Inc., DuPont, Deep Water Chemicals, Dynax Corporation, Perimeter Solutions, Solberg, Tyco Fire Products, United Technologies Corp., UTC Fire & Security, and more.

Since AFFFs have been part of firefighters’ tool kits and training for decades, many firefighters have had significant exposure and so are at greater risk of suffering ill effects.

Firefighting foam lawsuits claim defendants knew or should have known that PFAS in AFFF can cause significant health problems.

Firefighting foam class action lawsuit

When many plaintiffs are making similar claims their lawsuits are often consolidated into a single lawsuit called a class action lawsuit. This has not happened for the AFFF lawsuits because the claims are not similar enough; people came into contact with AFFF in different ways and have different illnesses. But the AFFF lawsuits have been consolidated in a different sense, into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). This is sometimes referred to as the AFFF class action lawsuit in an abuse of language. This means that all the cases will go in front of a single judge who will deal with discovery and pre-trial proceedings. But, if the cases go to trial then the will go to trial separately.

Types of AFFF and Modern Alternatives

There are 3 types of AFFF products:

Legacy PFOS AFFF
- These firefighting foams were produced in the US from the late 1960s until 2002 by 3M and sold under the brand name “Lightwater”. Lightwater AFFF contained PFOS and various precursors that could potentially break down to PFOS and shorter chain PFSAs. Some of these PFSAs are also considered to be persistent.
Legacy fluorotelomer AFFF (contain some long-chain PFAS)
- These foams were produced in the US from the 1970s until 2016 and encompass all other brands of AFFF besides 3M’s Lightwater. Although these foams are not made with PFOA, according to research published by Backe, Day and Field, they contain polyfluorinated precursors that are shown to break down into PFOA and other PFCAs in the natural environment.
Modern fluorotelomer AFFF (contain almost exclusively short-chain PFAS)
- Following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 2010/2015 voluntary PFOA Stewardship Program announcement, most manufacturers transitioned to the production of short-chain (C6) fluorotelomer based PFAS. These firefighting foams are called “modern” to distinguish them from the legacy foams.

As it has become clearer and more public that AFFF is dangerous, legislation (PFAS Action Act of 2021) has been passed to reduce its use by Both the US federal government and individual states (and of course other countries). Each business in the area also has its own rules. Some states entirely prohibit the use of AFFF, some do not control it while others allow its use in specific situations where the potential harm it does is thought to be justified by the harm it can prevent by putting out a potentially dangerous (and environmentally hazardous) fire.

Some of the alternatives to AFFF include fluorine-free foam, dry chemical agents and C6 firefighting foam concentrates.

AFFF Exposure Symptoms and Chemicals

People who have been exposed to toxic AFFFs for prolonged periods of time are at a higher risk of developing cancer and other serious conditions. This category includes:

Firefighters, especially military and airport firefighters
Residents living near a fire/military base, or airport
Airport employees and military personnel (because they work where the foam is stored)
Oil and gas workers (who might be exposed to AFFFs in case of a fire)

Firefighting Foam Exposure Symptoms

Firefighting foam exposure has been linked to various health conditions and the symptoms depend on the particular condition you may have developed. If you believe you’ve been exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam and you’re experiencing side effects, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Some of the conditions associated with AFFF exposure include: fertility issues, pregnancy-induced hypertension/pre-eclampsia, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

While there may be no symptoms, the symptoms of pregnancy-induced hypertension/pre-eclampsia may include:

High blood pressure
Swelling of feet and hands
Protein in urine

Some symptoms of kidney cancer include:

Blood in urine
Persistent pain in the back or side
Fever
Fatigue
Loss of appetite

Some symptoms of testicular cancer include:

A lump or enlargement of either testicle
Pain or discomfort in the testicle(s) or scrotum
A dull, aching feeling in the abdomen or groin

These are not exhaustive lists of symptoms and these lists are not meant for self-diagnose. If you’re experiencing health problems, contact your doctor and discuss your symptoms with them. If you think your cancer is related to AFFF, you may be eligible for an AFFF cancer lawsuit.

Firefighting Foam Chemicals

PFAS were originally discovered by scientists working at Dupont. One of the reasons they are useful is their unusual surface tension properties. Another reason is that their many carbon-fluorine bonds make them extremely stable (so a fire won’t break them down easily). The problem is this extreme stability also gives them essentially complete resistance to the ways human bodies normally break things down (or the ways things break down in the environment). Humans also have no way of excreting them so once they get inside the body they just stay there, potentially causing an array of serious medical issues.

Chemical	Uses	Dangers
PFOA	non-stick and stain-resistant coatings fire-fighting foams surfactant in industrial processes	higher cholesterol changes to liver function reduced immune response thyroid disease kidney cancer testicular cancer
PFOS	stain-resistant fabrics fire-fighting foams food packaging surfactant in industrial processes.	elevated cholesterol, liver damage cardiovascular disease changes in thyroid hormone levels reduced immune response possible carcinogen
PFNA	production of non-stick, stain repellent and chemically inert coatings	cancer damage to the immune system hormone disruption pregnancy and child development problems liver damage

What isn’t known about PFAS in AFFF

Even though there is sufficient evidence that PFAS in firefighting foam are harmful to humans, there are some things the scientist and the government don’t fully understand yet. For example:

How to quickly and efficiently detect PFAS in our air, water, soil and fish
Exactly how harmful PFAS are to people and the environment
How to remove PFAS from drinking water
How to properly dispose of PFAS

AFFF Exposure Symptoms Infographic

AFFF and Firefighting Foam Lawyers

If you or your loved one suffered the adverse effects of AFFF, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit, and, if you’re successful, receive financial compensation. It is a complicated process and you will benefit from experienced firefighting foam lawyers by your side. At King Law we are committed to helping build strong cases for people who have been exposed to toxic firefighting foams. Our firm specialises in chemical and water contamination cases, specifically in regard to the military. Our team of experienced attorneys will review your situation and determine if you have a case.

You may be able to file an AFFF lawsuit if you or someone close to you:

Were exposed to AFFF for a prolonged period of time (i.e worked as a firefighter, airport maintenance crew, factory worker, etc.)
Have been exposed to toxic firefighting foams
Were later diagnosed with cancer

Military Facilities with Known or Suspected PFAS Release

If you or your loved one was stationed at one of these facilities for 1 year or longer, you may be able to file a lawsuit. You can also check if your facility has been flagged as associated with PFAS exposure on the EPA’s website (US Environmental Protection Agency) or EWG’s website (Environmental Working Group).

Airforce

Air Force Plant 42
Beale Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base
Channel Islands ANGS
Edwards Air Force Base
Fresno ANG Base
George Air Force Base
Los Angeles Air Force Base
March Air Force Base
March Air Reserve Base
Mather Air Force Base
McClellan Air Force Base
Moffett Field ANG Station
Norton Air Force Base
Onizuka Air Force Station
Ontario ANG Station
Travis Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base

Army

AFRC Los Alamitos
Army Aviation Support ARNG Stockton
Camp Roberts
Camp San Luis Obispo
Fort Hunter Liggett
Fort Irwin
Fort Ord
Fresno ARNG TASMG
Military Ocean Terminal Concord
Roseville Armory ARNG
Sacramento AASF
Sharpe Army Depot
Sierra Army Depot

Navy/Marine Corps

Alameda Naval Complex
Azusa NCCOSC Morris Dam
Concord NWS
Coronado Naval Amphibious Base
Crows Landing NALF
Hunter Point NSY
Long Beach NS
Long Beach NSY
Mare Island Naval Complex
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station Tustin
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow
MCAGCC Twenty Nine Palms
MCAS Miramar
MCB Camp Pendleton
NAF El Centro
Naval Air Station Lemoore
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu
Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme
Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island
NAVBASE Coronado
NAVBASE Point Loma (SUBBASE)/SPAWAR (SSC)
NAVBASE San Diego
NAVCOMTELSTA Stockton
NAVWPNSTA Seal Beach
NAVWPNSTA Seal Beach Fallbrook
NOLF Imperial Beach
San Diego AUXLNDFLD NAVBASE Coronado
San Diego FASWTC PAC NAVBASE Point Loma
San Diego Nise-West NAVBASE Point Loma
Treasure Island Naval Complex

AFFF Lawsuit Settlement Amounts

It is difficult to predict what your AFFF lawsuit payout will be, since every individual case is different.

A tiered system is used to determine the value of firefighter foam settlements. The top tier is for plaintiffs with the greatest exposure and most serious types of AFF-linked cancer. Lower tiers are for plaintiffs with less exposure and/or less serious types of cancer.

The AFFF multidistrict litigation (MDL 2873) aggregates lawsuits from across the US related to harm caused by AFFF exposure.

You can get some idea of settlement amounts from the results of lawsuits filed for PFAS contamination in drinking water. In 2017 DuPont paid $671 million to thousands of plaintiffs for dumping PFAS in West Virginia’s waterways. In 2022 3M and Wolverine Worldwide were ordered to pay $54 million in a class action lawsuit to residents of Kent County Michigan.

The amount of a firefighting foam settlement could be affected by the amount of AFFF you have been exposed to and what kind of cancer you have and how much your treatment has cost.

How to File a Firefighter Foam Cancer Lawsuit

Your legal process for your AFFF claim will start with a consultation that will determine whether or not you are eligible. After that, you will need to gather as much evidence as possible. Our lawyers will help you determine what evidence to present.

Evidence in AFFF lawsuits may include:

Medical records and diagnosis
Employment records
Personal testimony
Witness testimonies
Any other information proving exposure to firefighting foam

Contact our team at King Law and we will guide you through the process.

AFFF Lawsuit Update Timeline

August 2023

August 8, 2023 – AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit Reaches Milestone with Over 5,000 cases

The lawsuit linking the chemicals in AFFF to certain cancer and other medical conditions has grown to over 5,000 cases. Some of these cases involve contamination of municipal water supplies, while others are related to direct exposure by firefighters. The breakdown of the number of lawsuits filed by firefighters is not known, but is speculated to be the main focus of the litigation moving forward. There is hope that settlements will be reached in 2023 in the AFFF lawsuits. We were recently reminded of the human toll this has taken when the judge overseeing the case approved a motion to substitute a plaintiff who had died while awaiting resolution of his case. His daughter is now the plaintiff and has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

July 2023

July 5, 2023 – Nearly 300 cases added to AFFF Lawsuit

In June, nearly 300 more cases were added to the lawsuit bringing the total to approximately 4,800 cases. A recent settlement involving municipal water contamination claims was reached, which represented a large portion of these cases. Progress continues to be made in the individual cases such as those involving firefighters exposed to cancer causing chemicals contained in AFFF.

June 2023

June 6, 2023 – AFFF Lawsuit Trial Postponed as Possible Settlement Talks Progress
In a significant development in the AFFF Fire Fighting Foam Multi-District Litigation (MDL) lawsuits, the bellwether (test) trial of City of Stuart, Florida v. 3M Company, initially scheduled for June 5, 2023, has been postponed at the request of the parties. Lawyer for the Plaintiff and the defendant have been engaged in earnest settlement negotiations as they work towards a global resolution of the plaintiffs’ claims. Because of the prospect of significant progress, both parties requested a continuance of the trial, noting that their efforts would be best spent finalizing an agreement. Judge Layn R. Phillips concurred with the parties and ordered a three week postponement, noting the benefits of a comprehensive resolution. The parties are required to provide the judge with weekly updates. Should an agreement remain elusive at the end of the 21 days, the original trial will be rescheduled.

June 2, 2023 – Chemical Companies Reach 1.19 Billion Settlement in U.S. PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuits

Three major chemical producing companies including Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva have agreed to settle lawsuit claims alleging contamination of public water systems with toxic “forever chemicals” for more than $1 Billion. The chemicals causing the contamination included PFAS which is used in firefighting foams known as Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). Although the companies deny responsibility, the settlement resolves thousands of lawsuits from around the country. Importantly, this settlement does not cover the many personal injury lawsuits that are claimed by those who developed serious illnesses such as cancer due to their exposure to AFFF, including firefighters and military members, among others. Those cases remain ongoing.

April 2023

April 27, 2023 – PFAS Legislation Targets Firefighting Foam as Primary Concern

The North Carolina House of Representatives has been provided a 61.7 million dollar grant to address PFAS contamination in drinking water. Additionally, Attorney General Josh Stein is actively pursuing litigation against corporations both large and small who are responsible for producing PFAS containing material. North Carolina has also set aside 2 million dollars for a PFAS Recovery Fund to compensate those communities who have been impacted. Notably, House Bill 370 (which seeks a permanent ban on PFAS-containing firefighting foam from everywhere except authorized testing facilities), has received bipartisan support from lawmakers. Furthermore, Senate Bill 658 also proposes that 20 million dollars be allocated for the purposes of research on the risks associated with the use of PFAS, a buyback program for those firefighting foams that contain PFAS, and to replace those foams with PFAS-free alternatives. Lastly, the bill calls for an additional 4 million dollars to study the health effects of PFAS contamination in drinking water. This is great news considering that both bills seem to indicate progress in North Carolina in the fight against PFAS exposure and dedicated commitment to the preservation of public health.

April 23, 2023 – CDC Launches Firefighter Registry For Cancer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), have recently started an online enrollment process for firefighters in the United States called the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer. This new initiative has set out to raise awareness and provide education about the increased potential for cancer in firefighters. Specifically, this initiative includes information on those cancers that are caused by Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). The NFR will also collect facts and other important details about the work performed by the firefighters in order to link that information with each state’s cancer registry data. Every firefighter in the United States is encouraged to enroll whether they have been diagnosed with cancer or not. Still, enrollment is optional and should only take approximately 30 minutes to complete. In this way, the NFR hopes to gain further insight into the dangers of cancer among firefighters, to reduce the number of firefighters who get cancer, and including those groups of people who have historically been underrepresented throughout previous research.

April 5, 2023 – North Carolina town of West Tisbury Joins PFAS MDL Lawsuit

The West Tisbury select board reached a unanimous decision to enter into a multidistrict litigation case centered around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – a group of chemicals. The decision to participate in the lawsuit was spurred by a state report in January that identified the West Tisbury fire department as the source of dangerously high levels of PFAS in private water wells located nearby, due to the use of firefighting foam (AFFF). The lawsuit claims that 15 manufacturers from different parts of the United States had deliberately withheld information regarding the dangerousness of their products. PFAS exposure has been linked to serious health conditions including cancer.

March 2023

March 16, 2023 – EPA Proposes To Limit Forever Chemicals – Including PFAS Found In Firefighting Foam (AFFF)

On March 14, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first-ever national drinking water standard for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” which pose a significant threat to human health. This proposal has the potential to drastically impact the drinking water of almost every person in the United States. The proposed rule aims to establish safe drinking water levels for six specific PFAS chemicals, which are persistent synthetic compounds. These chemicals are widespread in the environment and the human body, and prolonged exposure to them can result in severe health complications.

The US Department of Defense has implemented a timeline to eliminate PFAS from firefighting foam with a complete halt to its use by October 2024. This move is in response to hundreds of military sites being polluted by foam used to extinguish jet fuel fires. In addition to it practical application, many firefighters outside of the military have been routinely exposed to AFFF chemicals as a part of their training.

March 10, 2023 – New Lawsuit Filed in AFFF Exposure Case

On March 2nd a new lawsuit was filed dealing with AFFF involving a Dear Park Texas man (Kent v. 3M) who served as a firefighter in the Marine Corps and was regular exposed to the chemicals contained in fire fighting foam (AFFF). The plaintiff makes claims of pain and suffering, injury, and emotional distress due to the development of prostate cancer which he alleges was caused by AFFF exposure. Click here to see the full complaint filed in South Carolina.

February 2023

February 23, 2023 – Scientists continue to find links between AFFF exposure and elevated risk for cancer

A recent article authored by eight leading scientist was published in Science Direct in December 2022 and cited over seventy other studies in support of their position. Due to the persistence of PFASs in the human body and their ability to bioaccumulate, firefighters experience cumulative effects of PFAS-containing AFFF exposure throughout their careers, increasing their risk of developing thyroid, kidney, bladder, testicular, prostate and colon cancers. The study suggests that PFASs may contribute to firefighter cancers, and further research is needed to evaluate the role of occupational PFAS exposure in causing an elevated cancer risk for firefighters. Click here to read the full study.

February 16, 2023 – Important Court Rulings Forthcoming

Rulings with respect to the admissibility of scientific evidence in initial drinking water utility lawsuits involving damages caused by firefighting foam containing PFAS will be forthcoming soon. The first bellwether trial, City of Stuart v. 3M Co., has been scheduled for June 5, and the parties are currently in the final stages of presenting arguments regarding the Daubert standard, which is the criteria that the US District Court for the District of South Carolina should use to evaluate scientific testimony and evidence. These rulings could impact the admissibility of certain scientific evidence in the cancer lawsuits.

January 2023

January 25, 2023

The plaintiffs have recently submitted opposition briefs in the forthcoming firefighting foam trial case (City of Stuart v. 3M Co.), countering the defendants’ motion for summary judgment filed last week. The defense asserted that there was no proof connecting their specific AFFF items to the polluted city water. In contrast, the plaintiffs’ response referenced expert testimony ultimately concluding that the exact products in question were a significant contributing source of the tainted water supply. The plaintiffs must establish that there is a factual dispute that requires a jury’s resolution in order to beat the summary judgement motion.

January 18, 2023

The federal multi-district litigation over firefighting AFFF has had 48 new cases added bringing it to a total of 3,387.

January 3, 2023

Three manufacturers of AFFF are motioning that they should be removed as defendants from the first firefighters foam lawsuit to go to trial on the basis that the plaintiff’s expert witnesses have not sufficiently connected the plaintiff’s symptoms with the defendants’ product.

January 1, 2023

3M vows to stop manufacturing forever chemicals by the end of 2025.

November 2022

November 10, 2022

Recently, the judge overseeing the AFFF class action lawsuit appointed a mediator to facilitate settlement talks between the parties. These talks will take place prior to the first bellwether trial scheduled for next year. A retired judge, Layn Phillips, has been selected to serve as the mediator. However, this will be a challenging task for Phillips, given the broad scope of the AFFF class action MDL, which includes claims from both firefighters who allege that AFFF products caused their cancer and municipalities who claim that AFFF tainted their water systems. Due to the diverse range of plaintiffs and defendants involved, reaching a global AFFF settlement will be complex. Nonetheless, defendants may be motivated to offer settlement compensation to plaintiffs as a means of resolving some of the AFFF lawsuits. The first bellwether trial is slated for June 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of cancer is caused by AFFF?

AFFF is believed to cause several types of cancer, including kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, and others.

Is AFFF still being used?

Many states are passing legislation to prohibit the use of PFAS-based AFFF. However, AFFF remains in use at airports and large military facilities. Moreover, foam containing PFAS remains a requirement for some agencies, particularly those serving airports and some military facilities.

What are the replacements for AFFF foam?

There are 3 alternatives to AFFF: fluorine-free firefighting foam, dry chemical agents, and C8 firefighting foam concentrates.

When did firefighters stop using AFFF?

The use of AFFF has not fully stopped. In 2002, under pressure from the EPA, 3M stopped making an entire line of AFFF, but PFAS-containing foams from other manufacturers are still used.

Does all firefighting foam contain PFAS?

No. Class A firefighting foams that are used for wildfires and structural fires do not contain PFAS chemicals. The U.S. Department of Defense is funding research to develop new foams as effective as AFFF but not containing PFAS. A portion of the funding goes to the Naval Research Laboratory, which is looking for a firefighting foam replacement. Other funding goes to government agencies, universities and labs that show promise of coming up with a solution to clean up affected sites.

What are the health effects of PFAS?

PFAS exposure has been linked to multiple cancers, asthma, thyroid disease, liver damage, and fertility issues.

Does Class B foam contain PFAS?

Class B AFFF and AR-AFFF foams are currently manufactured with intentionally added PFAS.

How much PFAS is in firefighting foam?

Usually, PFAS account for 3 to 6% by weight of the entire formulation, which also contains water, other surfactants, stabilizers, solubilizers, and other chemicals.

What are the side effects of AFFF?

Toxic AFFF exposure may increase your risk of developing thyroid disease, liver disease, as well as testicular, kidney, breast, prostate, and other cancers.

How can a firefighting foam lawyer help me?

If you hire a firefighting foam law firm they will help you determine whether you qualify for a AFFF foam lawsuit, advise on your legal options, help you gather appropriate evidence, file your lawsuit and then either help you reach a firefighter foam cash settlement or defend your case before a judge.