New Jersey collects and destroys PFAS firefighting foam statewide

New Jersey moved PFAS-laced firefighting foam out of hundreds of fire departments and into destruction, turning a storage problem into a statewide cleanup test. The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Community Affairs launched the collection at no cost to local departments, with two regional sites taking in aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, for disposal by an out-of-state contractor.

New Jersey first identified PFAS as an issue of concern in 2006 and later became the first state to set enforceable drinking-water standards for the chemicals in 2018. PFAS have been used for more than 70 years in industrial and commercial applications, and they are linked to health risks and long-lived contamination in soil and water.

The foam collection program is aimed at class B firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS, the material that has been stockpiled for decades at fire departments, airports and military sites. New Jersey passed P.L. 2023, c. 243 on Jan. 8, 2024, to restrict its use, offering for sale, sale, manufacture and distribution. The law was initially set to take effect on Jan. 8, 2026, but state guidance later extended compliance so the use and storage ban now begins Jan. 1, 2027.

In guidance issued Jan. 20, 2026, the Division of Fire Safety was still evaluating class B foam and would continue to update fire departments. A March 12, 2026 memo, developed with NJDEP, superseded earlier guidance and updated rules for the use of class B aqueous film-forming foam.

In a March 20 release, Revive Environmental expected New Jersey to collect more than 150,000 gallons of AFFF from more than 300 fire departments, making it one of the largest coordinated foam collection and destruction programs in U.S. history.

Senator Troy Singleton, who authored the foam ban law, said firefighters should not have to worry about exposure to dangerous “forever chemicals” while using tools meant to keep them safe.