The grace period for transitioning from fluorinated to fluorine-free firefighting foams ends on 30 January 2020.
A ban on fluorinated foams came into effect in South Australia on 30 January 2018, but licensees have the opportunity to apply for an exemption in certain circumstances.
The transition from fluorinated foams can be complex, especially at large sites such as fuel stores, where kilometres of piping and storage tanks for the foam must be decontaminated or replaced without compromising safety or interrupting the supply of fuel to South Australia during the changeover period.
If an exemption is granted, it is not permanent. It is initially for a three-year period, and requires an environment improvement plan (EIP) with agreed milestones to ensure the transition to fluorine-free foam progresses.
Any site that is granted an exemption must also meet certain conditions to ensure any use of fluorinated foams does not cause environmental harm.
For more information on PFAS, visit https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/environmental_info/perfluorinated-compounds