b'14 YTZENVIRONMENTALToronto City Airport Leads the Move to Fluorine-Free Firefighting Foam BY RONNIE WENDTBilly Bishop Toronto City Airportearly on and quickly discovered that many FACTS&FIGURES(YTZ) has wrestled an issue to thefluorine-free fire suppressant foams did not Project: Transition to Fluorine-Free ground that other airports throughoutmeet federal standards for aviation use. All Firefighting Foam the world are still grappling withthe use ofthat changed in July 2019, when Transport Location: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport fire suppressant foam that contains per- andCanada issued an exemption to a section of the Distinction: 1st commercial airport in Northpolyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which areAircraft Fire Fighting at Airport and Aerodrome America to make the switch linked to harmful effects for humans and theStandards that allows airports to use fluorine-Timeline: Trucks modified & cleaned Sept. &environment. YTZ was the first commercialfree aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) Oct. 2019; final testing Oct. 2019 airport in Canada, and all of North America, toproducts under specific circumstances.Product Used: SOLBERG RE-HEALING RF3 complete the transition to fluorine-free firefightingIn order for an airport to qualify, its chosen Manufacturer: Perimeter Solutions foam. Other Canadian airports have sincefoam must: ARFF Vehicles: 2 Oshkosh 1500 Strikercompleted the transition to pass performance testing performed by trucks (2009 & 2011) fluorine-free foam. third party,Manufacturer: Oshkosh Airport Products Mark Smith, formermeet applicable ICAO Level B and C fire chief and Emergencycertification requirements, Waste Disposal: GFL Environmental Response and Planning Water Testing: SGS Analytical manager for Ports Toronto not contain any fluorinated compounds,Key Benefit: Fluorine-free foam poses less riskand YTZ, launched abe compatible with vehicles onboard foam to the environment & human healthsearch for an alternativeMARK SMITH portioning system,October 2023AirportImprovement.com'