WEBVTT - 'Forever Chemicals' Here to Stay, Despite Alternatives

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<v Speaker 1>They said it couldn't be done, but now it may

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<v Speaker 1>finally be happening, a viable replacement for p fast laden

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<v Speaker 1>firefighting foam. On today's podcast, we talked about this potential

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<v Speaker 1>breakthrough in the fight against P fast contamination and why

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<v Speaker 1>it might not actually be that big of a breakthrough

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<v Speaker 1>after all. Hello, and welcome back once again to partsiper Billion,

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<v Speaker 1>the environmental podcast from Bloomberg Law. I'm your host, David Schultz.

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<v Speaker 1>So you could sort of say that P fast is

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<v Speaker 1>a victim of its own success. The so called forever chemicals,

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<v Speaker 1>named as such because they're so resistant to breaking down

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<v Speaker 1>the environment, are really really good at what they do,

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<v Speaker 1>and they do a lot of things, but one of

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<v Speaker 1>the things they do best is putting out fires. The

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<v Speaker 1>military has been using sprayable phone lace with p fast

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<v Speaker 1>to do exactly this since the Vietnam War era, and

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<v Speaker 1>so have airports and other places that work with highly

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<v Speaker 1>flammable materials. The problem, of course, is that, as we

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<v Speaker 1>now know, P fast chemicals are really bad for your health,

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<v Speaker 1>and estated earlier, they're really hard to get rid of.

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<v Speaker 1>But now we may finally have other firefighting tools that

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<v Speaker 1>work just as well as P FAST but aren't P fast.

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<v Speaker 1>Liberal reporters Pat Rizzutto and Andrew Wallander just wrote a

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<v Speaker 1>story about whether this means the military and other entities

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<v Speaker 1>can start phasing app fast foam. As it turns out,

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<v Speaker 1>doing that is going to be really, really hard. Here's

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<v Speaker 1>my conversation with them. One of the reasons why I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to bring you guys on is you just did

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<v Speaker 1>a story about, you know, replacements for P fast in

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<v Speaker 1>firefighting foam. For the longest time, I was under the

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<v Speaker 1>impression that it was impossible to replace because it's so effective. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>but it sounds like that maybe changing. What's what's going

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<v Speaker 1>on with that, Is it possible now to have a

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<v Speaker 1>P fast replacement that just as good as P fast. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>d D and the researchers it's funded have been evaluating

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<v Speaker 1>dozens of products. Some of those products are actually used

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<v Speaker 1>abroad at airports, but the challenge has been the at

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<v Speaker 1>they have more limited uses where you know, an airport

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<v Speaker 1>is mostly dealing with jet fuel. The military needs firefighting

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<v Speaker 1>tools that can put out something with propane, something with gasoline,

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<v Speaker 1>something with who knows how many chemicals, something that works

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<v Speaker 1>with freshwater, something that works with saltwater. I mean, the

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<v Speaker 1>conditions under which the military fights are so much broader

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<v Speaker 1>than an airport that it really has You know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>taken a lot of hard work to try and find

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<v Speaker 1>one or perhaps more alternatives. As a layperson, I would

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<v Speaker 1>think something that can put out jet fuel could probably

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<v Speaker 1>put out anything. But it's sounds like that's not the

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<v Speaker 1>case at all. You need some specialized stuff, apparently from

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<v Speaker 1>people much smarter than I. I'm told they don't and

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<v Speaker 1>that some of the problems with some of the substitutes

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<v Speaker 1>that have worked abroad is that they don't work for

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<v Speaker 1>the full range of stuff that can burn. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>really really dangerous because it flows like a river as

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<v Speaker 1>it burns. Yeah, that's frightening. Um, So give me a

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<v Speaker 1>sense of how quickly the regulations around this are changing.

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<v Speaker 1>You guys did a story about you know, d O

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<v Speaker 1>D is doing its own thing, The FAA is doing

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<v Speaker 1>it's things, States are doing their thing. Um, what what's

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<v Speaker 1>happening here? Who are is this a coordinated effort or

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<v Speaker 1>are they all on separate, parallel tracks. Well, I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to start just by saying that it's what's called equist

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<v Speaker 1>film forming foam, A for people who don't want obnoxious

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<v Speaker 1>names um. And that's the type of foam that until

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<v Speaker 1>now and still today uses various forms of p FAST. Right, So,

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<v Speaker 1>we've got at least two dozen states so far that

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<v Speaker 1>have put out legislation of some kind past legislation restricting

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<v Speaker 1>the use of this type of foam in some way.

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<v Speaker 1>It's been one of the most active areas of p

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<v Speaker 1>FAST enforcement that states have been involved in, and but

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<v Speaker 1>it varies widely for how states have been looking at this.

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<v Speaker 1>So a lot of a lot of those states they

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<v Speaker 1>will just restrict the use of that foam in training

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<v Speaker 1>and testing exercises. Well, some states have gone so far

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<v Speaker 1>as to ban full use of the foam and or

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<v Speaker 1>banned manufacturer manufactured distribution. There's a lot of exceptions for

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<v Speaker 1>emergencies as well. So even even though these states are

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<v Speaker 1>are putting the brakes on selling this foam and buying it,

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<v Speaker 1>the phone that's still out there, a lot of a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of fire companies, organizations, airports, that sort of thing

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<v Speaker 1>will still be able to use it for the foreseeable future.

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<v Speaker 1>Well that's really interesting because I would imagine in a

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<v Speaker 1>situation where the foam is banned outright Uh, then you

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<v Speaker 1>can get to the to the you know, very laborious

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<v Speaker 1>process of getting rid of it, which will get to

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<v Speaker 1>you in a second. But in a situation where it's

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<v Speaker 1>allowed only in emergencies, you can actually you know, keep around, right, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>can you tell me a little bit about that. How

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<v Speaker 1>do you if you if you keep it around, you

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<v Speaker 1>have to store it, you have to make sure it

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't you know, get out into the environment, right right, Yeah, absolutely,

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<v Speaker 1>And so a lot of fire departments are making a

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<v Speaker 1>lot more effort to train their their firefighters and how

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<v Speaker 1>to actually use this foam and when to use it,

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<v Speaker 1>and trying to be very uh use it very sparingly.

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<v Speaker 1>And I know that the government's on that as well,

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<v Speaker 1>telling you know, airports not to use this foam unless

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<v Speaker 1>it's absolutely necessary for an emergency, and trying to really

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<v Speaker 1>restrict the use of it because a lot of a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of the contamination and pollution that we've seen from

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<v Speaker 1>from fast foam has been from these training exercises where

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<v Speaker 1>they've just been using it, uh way too often. From

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<v Speaker 1>what we know now what the science is telling Andrew

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<v Speaker 1>just nailed it. It's actually not the use to control

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<v Speaker 1>the hazardous fires that were really worried about. That's been

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<v Speaker 1>the problem with the A triple left. It was the

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<v Speaker 1>you know, daily training, you know, for years, for decades

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<v Speaker 1>that just was pouring it into the environment. UM. Really

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<v Speaker 1>since the end of the Vietnam War. Now you know,

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<v Speaker 1>in some cases, as you mentioned, it's it's being phased

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<v Speaker 1>out completely. In some cases it's being phased out mostly UM.

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<v Speaker 1>But one of the things that you wrote about in

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<v Speaker 1>your story that I is now obvious, but it wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>obvious to me before I read it, was that it's

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<v Speaker 1>really hard to get rid of. You can't just throw

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<v Speaker 1>it away, you can't just take it to a landfill.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you get rid of aqueous film forming foam

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<v Speaker 1>atriple leaf um, you know, safely without causing its own

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<v Speaker 1>environmental hazards. So it seems and impact correct me if

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<v Speaker 1>I'm wrong, but it seems there's two main ways that

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<v Speaker 1>fire departments are going about disposing of the of the

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<v Speaker 1>foam and the first sister incineration, burning the foam at

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<v Speaker 1>very high temperatures where it can break apart some of

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<v Speaker 1>these these molecules, and then the other is to basically

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<v Speaker 1>put it in the ground to bury it. And UM.

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<v Speaker 1>You mean like deep well well on the ground, right, UM,

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<v Speaker 1>so truck it off to some facility that that has

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<v Speaker 1>the ability to to do that. So either burning it

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<v Speaker 1>or burying it is the two main ways. Just to

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<v Speaker 1>elaborate on how challenging this waste problem is. UM. What

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<v Speaker 1>makes p fast really wonderful for products is that they

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<v Speaker 1>the chemicals last so long. Now, if you've got UM

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<v Speaker 1>wires and cables that are coated with the chemicals in

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<v Speaker 1>your office sailing, which we probably do to reduce the

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<v Speaker 1>chance of fires, that's really great because you want those

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<v Speaker 1>wires and cables to be resistant to fires for many,

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<v Speaker 1>many years. But the downside is when you're trying to

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<v Speaker 1>get it rid of it, it's really stubborn. It likes

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<v Speaker 1>to hide in the nooks and the crannies of the

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<v Speaker 1>pipes and the other equipment that you know shoot out

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<v Speaker 1>the foam. So what that means is that as fire departments,

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<v Speaker 1>oil rigs, oil refineries, chemical manufacturers, airports and anybody else

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<v Speaker 1>who's using it D O D, they're going to have

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<v Speaker 1>to clean out aircraft hangars that use that A triple left,

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<v Speaker 1>they're going to have to clean out lots of fire

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<v Speaker 1>trucks and other equipments that's had it, and maybe even

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<v Speaker 1>trucks um that will have to be gotten rid of

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<v Speaker 1>whole entire trucks. Some it's entirely possible, according to some

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<v Speaker 1>of those folks that I spoke to, that it could

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<v Speaker 1>be more cost effective to just buy a new truck,

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<v Speaker 1>even if that's costing in the six digits then to

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<v Speaker 1>clean it all out, or if it's a marginal difference,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you want a new truck that has some new

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<v Speaker 1>cool features. And one of the challenges that folks are

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<v Speaker 1>facing is win in January, d D announces the new

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<v Speaker 1>requirements for these new phones. Then it's going to take

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of months to certify and say these are

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<v Speaker 1>the phones that actually work for the military. What if

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<v Speaker 1>there aren't a lot of those, and the military, with

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<v Speaker 1>all its vast purchasing power, buys up all the new phones,

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<v Speaker 1>right Well, that's actually what I wanted to get into,

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<v Speaker 1>is that it's one thing for the military to make

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<v Speaker 1>a new rule or new regulation that applies to itself.

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<v Speaker 1>It's another thing for civilian aviation for the FAA to

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<v Speaker 1>make new rules, and then it's an entirely other thing

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<v Speaker 1>for the states for fifty different states to have different rules.

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<v Speaker 1>Are we concerned that there will be not totally compliance here,

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<v Speaker 1>that some of these airports or other people who use

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<v Speaker 1>or other firefighting entities might just say, Hey, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we'd like to replace this atribal left, but we just can't. Sorry,

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<v Speaker 1>we'll just pay a fine. Airports are among the folks

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<v Speaker 1>who are concerned, Well, the military could buy up all

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<v Speaker 1>the available supply, so then what are we going to do.

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<v Speaker 1>They're also concerned about, you know, getting enough just to

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<v Speaker 1>to the general global supply chain problems. And they're also

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<v Speaker 1>concerned about not having enough experts who know how to

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<v Speaker 1>clean out the equipment, not having enough equipment to clean

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<v Speaker 1>out the equipment. There's a real desire for are coordinated

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<v Speaker 1>national strategy here. Andrew. I want to hear from you

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<v Speaker 1>because you know, as we all know, you know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>one thing to make a rule, it's another thing to

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<v Speaker 1>ensure compliance with that rule. Did the states have a

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<v Speaker 1>um plan for making sure that their new regulations are

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<v Speaker 1>complied with or is it just they're saying phase out

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<v Speaker 1>p fasts and not really following up. Yes, it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>been interesting to see a lot of states have actually

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<v Speaker 1>pushed some of the UH notification UH part of the

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<v Speaker 1>compliance at least letting people know that this is these

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<v Speaker 1>laws are out there to some of the manufacturers and saying,

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<v Speaker 1>if you've sold these types of p fasts foams to people,

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<v Speaker 1>it's your responsibility for the law to actually notify them

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<v Speaker 1>that the laws changing, they're not going to be able

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<v Speaker 1>to use it or not gonna be able to buy

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<v Speaker 1>it from you anymore, which is interesting actually, right right

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<v Speaker 1>and then and then there's also a lot of a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of card be outs in these laws. So even

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<v Speaker 1>though we're seeing a lot of change going on now,

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<v Speaker 1>some of these carve outs in the laws, we're going

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<v Speaker 1>to be seeing p fast foam sticking around till at

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<v Speaker 1>least the lateies, early twenty thirties, based on how long

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<v Speaker 1>some of these windows are for the states UM. And

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<v Speaker 1>then one of the things that's interesting to note in

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<v Speaker 1>the state level two is UM Connecticut, they actually came

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<v Speaker 1>out with a particular foam for people to buy, saying

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<v Speaker 1>that this is we've done our research, UH, this foam

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<v Speaker 1>meets our specifications. Are public agencies are going to buy

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<v Speaker 1>this fast free phone uh and putting it out there

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<v Speaker 1>that others So they didn't just say, you know, phase

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<v Speaker 1>out p fast film. They said, phase out p fast foam.

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<v Speaker 1>That by doing this, by buying this other they said,

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<v Speaker 1>this one's approved for for state agencies to use, and UH,

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<v Speaker 1>we've done the research and there's now alternatives that meet

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<v Speaker 1>our needs. Finally, I wanted to get back to something

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<v Speaker 1>that Pat alluded to earlier, that you know, P fast

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<v Speaker 1>has a lot of uses. You know, for obvious, firefighting

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<v Speaker 1>phone is what we're talking about now, but also you

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<v Speaker 1>know it's it's used throughout the economy and in in a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of different ways. But it sounds like the one

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<v Speaker 1>of the main ways that p fast gets into the

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<v Speaker 1>environment is through the spraying of this phone, because when

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<v Speaker 1>you're spraying the foam, obviously it's going everywhere. It's meant

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<v Speaker 1>to get down to the environment. If we actually do

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<v Speaker 1>succeed in phasing out p fast in firefighting foam, will

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<v Speaker 1>that be kind of will we get almost all the

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<v Speaker 1>way towards solving the P fast problem? Will that be

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<v Speaker 1>victory over P fast day UM? I would not characterize

0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:44.559
<v Speaker 1>it that way at all. If UM, if the government,

0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:50.840
<v Speaker 1>federal and state, UH and private sector are successful in

0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:56.240
<v Speaker 1>finding alternatives to a triple F that will be a

0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.840
<v Speaker 1>major step forward. They've already taken steps by not you

0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:03.559
<v Speaker 1>using a triple left for training, and by the military

0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:07.040
<v Speaker 1>doesn't use it for training. F A A discourages its

0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:12.000
<v Speaker 1>use except in emergencies. UM fire departments aren't using it

0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:15.559
<v Speaker 1>for training. I'm told I'm they used water UM. So

0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:19.960
<v Speaker 1>they've already been some major steps to reduce its use

0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:24.760
<v Speaker 1>for the firefighting foam. UM. Having alternatives will help mean

0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:28.440
<v Speaker 1>that no more a trip left which has p FAST

0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:31.800
<v Speaker 1>is being put into the environment, So it'll be a help,

0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:34.720
<v Speaker 1>But it doesn't do anything about the p FST that's

0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:38.240
<v Speaker 1>already out there. Since you know, we're talking especially with

0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:41.680
<v Speaker 1>the older forms of a triple left, we're talking about

0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:48.120
<v Speaker 1>real well known forever chemicals UM. And it doesn't stop

0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:52.320
<v Speaker 1>the other sources of p FS in the environment. UM.

0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:56.040
<v Speaker 1>Landfills are a major source because of all the products

0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:59.000
<v Speaker 1>that are coated with the chemicals that then go into

0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:02.880
<v Speaker 1>land fills and then over time the leach it happens. So,

0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:08.000
<v Speaker 1>you know, does this address a major source? Yes? Does

0:15:08.040 --> 0:15:13.000
<v Speaker 1>it solve everything? No? And UM. A major concern that

0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:19.240
<v Speaker 1>I heard was do we know enough about the alternatives?

0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:23.880
<v Speaker 1>Will they be safe or will there be shortcuts in

0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:27.320
<v Speaker 1>the rush to get alternatives that there won't be enough

0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:30.440
<v Speaker 1>testing and we'll have another problem, you know, a couple

0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:34.280
<v Speaker 1>of decades from now. Yeah, because as you know very well,

0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:37.480
<v Speaker 1>I mean, there's a long history of you know, industry

0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:39.920
<v Speaker 1>creating an alternative to a harmful substance and then that

0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:43.800
<v Speaker 1>alternative also turns out to be harmful itself, otherwise known

0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:46.920
<v Speaker 1>as whack a mole. Exactly what do you think? I mean?

0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:49.280
<v Speaker 1>Do you think it sounds like, based on what Pat

0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:53.880
<v Speaker 1>is saying, that taking p fast out of firefighting foam

0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:57.640
<v Speaker 1>would help make the problem not get worse or at

0:15:57.720 --> 0:16:01.440
<v Speaker 1>least not get worse as quickly, but it wouldn't solve

0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:04.360
<v Speaker 1>the problem at all. Yeah. No, I I agree with that.

0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:07.320
<v Speaker 1>I think that it's it's a huge step and and

0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:09.440
<v Speaker 1>cuts off a major source of some of the p

0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:11.880
<v Speaker 1>fast pollution. But like Pat said, a lot of the

0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:15.080
<v Speaker 1>damage is already done. There's a lot of uh places

0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:17.360
<v Speaker 1>in the environment that already have a lot of p

0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:21.440
<v Speaker 1>fast contamination in the groundwater from decades and decades of

0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:24.360
<v Speaker 1>using these phones, and um, you know, there's there's still

0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:29.000
<v Speaker 1>gonna be p fast applications in other consumer products and

0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:31.160
<v Speaker 1>so there's still going to be a need to manufacture

0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:34.400
<v Speaker 1>uh P fast, and so there's always you know, potential

0:16:34.520 --> 0:16:38.040
<v Speaker 1>from contamination from some of those sites that are manufacturing

0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:41.680
<v Speaker 1>the P fast and uh and and landfills and and

0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:44.760
<v Speaker 1>and other sources. All right, well that was Andrew Wallander

0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:48.520
<v Speaker 1>and pat Rizzuto talking about P fast. Thank you guys

0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:52.800
<v Speaker 1>so much, And that's it for today's episode of Parts

0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.000
<v Speaker 1>for Billion. If you want more environmental news, check us

0:16:55.000 --> 0:16:58.160
<v Speaker 1>out on Twitter. We use the handle at environment just

0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:01.360
<v Speaker 1>that environment nothing else. I'm at David B. Schultz if

0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:04.200
<v Speaker 1>you want to chat with me about anything. Today's episode

0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:06.760
<v Speaker 1>of Partner Really is produced by myself, David Joels special

0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:09.440
<v Speaker 1>help from Monet Schuff. Partner Billion was created by Jessica

0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.040
<v Speaker 1>Combs and Rachel Dagle and is edited by Zach Sherwood

0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:15.680
<v Speaker 1>and Chuck McCutcheon. Our executive producer is Josh Block. Thanks

0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:21.480
<v Speaker 1>everyone for listening. Have you ever thought to yourself, how

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0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:31.120
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0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.479
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<v Speaker 1>money do they really make anyway? These are the things

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