HOUSTON – There is a HAZMAT (hazardous materials) situation at Bush Intercontinental Airport after a United Airlines hangar overflowed with firefighting foam.
There was a malfunction with the system and around 5:30 a.m. foam was inadvertently released. It filled up the hangar and then poured out onto the maintenance area parking lot. Cars parked in the lot were covered in several feet of the foam. Environmental teams also put down berm to protect nearby detention basins and bayous.
READ MORE: Cleanup underway at Bush Intercontinental Airport after fire suppression foam leak
So what could be in the foam?
“Around 5:30 a.m. today, biodegradable PFAS-free fire suppression foam was inadvertently released in a United Airlines hangar located off Wright Road. A multi-layered mitigation plan was immediately activated. Environmental teams with United Airlines are leading the clean-up which includes support from the Houston Fire Department, Houston Airports and Houston Public Works.” - Houston Airports and Houston Spaceport
In 2022, the federal government passed a law banning PFAS in firefighting foam, specifically aircraft firefighting foam. PFAS are a group of chemicals that have been used in manufacturing products since the 1940s. However, according to the CDC, PFAS are a concern because they do not break down in the environment, they can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and they build up in fish and wildlife.
READ THE FAA REPORT BELOW