The EPA's 2010/15 PFOA C6 Stewardship Programme will require big changes to firefighting foam manufacture by 2015. Traditional firefighting foam concentrates use fluorinated surfactants with carbon chain lengths between C6 and C12, but the Programme will reformulate foams to use surfactants with C6 or less chains, making the foams more environmentally friendly. Firefighting foam users need to determine if their existing foam is 2010/15 compliant, UL162 approved, and compatible with the new C6 foam to decide whether to change out their stock now or wait until 2015 to be ready for the changes.

1. THE EPA 2010/15 PFOA C 6 STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMME:
BIG CHANGES TO FIRE FIGHTING FOAM MANUFACTURE ARE
COMING!
OIL TECHNICS….. READY!
FOAM USERS……READY?
15, 14, 2013…… ARE YOU READY TO TALK/MEET WITH US?
C6 WHAT IS IT?
TRADITIONALY FIRE FIGHTING FOAM CONCENTRATES ARE MANUFACTURED
USING FLUORINATED SURFACTANTS WITH AN Rf CARBON CHAIN LENGTH
BETWEEN C6 AND C12.
C6 IS A PROJECT TO REFORMULATE TRADITIONAL FIRE FIGHTING FOAM
CONCENTRATES USING SURFACTANTS CONTAINING AN Rf CHAIN OF C6 OR
LESS (MAKING SUCH FIRE FIGHTING FOAMS MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY)!

2. Q“IF THIS CHANGE IS GOING TO EFFECT US THE MANUFACTURER, HOW IS IT
GOING TO EFFECT YOU THE END USER”?
ANS: YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF THREE THINGS AND THEY ARE:
 IS YOUR EXISTING FOAM 2010/15 COMPLIANT?
 IS IT UL162 APPROVED?
 WILL YOUR EXISTING STOCK BE COMPATIBLE TO THE NEW C6 FIRE
FIGHTING FOAM?
YOU ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER:
IF YOU TRY TO BLEND C6 FIRE FIGHTING FOAM WITH YOUR EXISTING
STOCK OF FOAM YOU WILL LOSE THE C6 BENEFITS.
IF YOU CONTINUE TO USE YOUR EXISTING STOCK AFTER 2015 YOU
MAY FIND IT IS NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED AS IT HAS BEEN
REPLACED BY MANUFACTURERS WITH THE C6 FOAM.
YOU NEED TO DECIDE AND PLAN/BUDGET NOW FOR; WHETHER TO
CHANGE OUT YOUR EXISTING STOCK AND REPLACE WITH C6 OR WAIT
UNTIL 2015.
OIL TECHNICS…… READY!
FOAM USERS…… READY!
ARE YOU READY TO TALK TO US?
DO YOU WANT US TO COME AND TALK TO YOU?
For more information, contact me at david.holmes@oiltechnics.com