If all goes as planned, a newly opened facility in Ohio could destroy PFAS chemicals from New Hampshire firefighters later this year, the first step that could lead to building a PFAS destruction operation in New England.
“This is no longer a forever chemical. There is a solution,” said Jake McManus of Northeast Purification Systems, which is handling the project for Revive Environmental, which developed the technology.
“It’s the chemical that’s everywhere, but not forever,” added Mark Sanborn, former assistant commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services who now works for Northeast Purification Systems.
If a contract is signed by the governor and Executive Council, as appears likely, processed leachate containing PFAS from foam and firefighting equipment will be taken to Columbus, Ohio, to a facility operated by Revive Environmental that uses high pressure and temperature. to break down the cancer-causing chemical in a system called PFAS Annihilator.
“If we can do it with firefighting foam, which is the worst of the worst, we can do it with all the leachates” that contain PFAS, said David Trueba, president and CEO of Ohio-based Revive Environmental.
Revive describes its system as an environmentally friendly alternative to burying or burning materials containing PFAS, the current alternatives. The cost per gallon is “cheaper than incineration, more expensive than landfill,” Trueba said.
Revive has been using the system at a facility in Michigan that started as a pilot and is now running full time. The company says it is treating more than 2.5 million gallons per month of concentrated leachate from wastewater treatment plants.
PFAS, short for “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” is a class of thousands of man-made chemicals that have been around since the 1940s to make products resistant to oil, heat or water. They’re used in everything from cosmetics to outdoor gear to nonstick cookware and food packaging, and because they don’t decompose naturally, they accumulate in the environment. Exposure can increase the risk of several types of cancer and other diseases.
Spurred by the discovery of PFAS from groundwater linked to the now-closed Saint-Gobain plant in Merrimack, New Hampshire has been at the forefront of environmental regulation related to the chemical.
One of the main sources of PFAS contamination is a type of firefighting foam, which can leach into groundwater after being used in a fire. New Hampshire banned its use in 2019, raising questions about what should be done with the existing material. Revive Environmental’s system is seen as the potential solution.
Northeast Purification Systems is serving as the local agent for Revive Environmental. They’re starting with New Hampshire firefighting foam, but hope to convince other PFAS sources to use the system. The idea is to get enough customers to justify building a PFAS Annihilator site in New England to avoid transportation costs.
A big boost for the industry is the EPA’s recent decision to add PFAS to drinking water standards, meaning wastewater treatment facilities will have to start removing it. “It’s made people really realize that if PFAS is in their waste stream…they’re going to need a solution,” Sanborn said.
This reflects how the industry is largely driven by regulation. Revive began operating in Michigan because that state set limits for PFAS in leachate, the liquid that leaks from landfills or industrial facilities.
Another motivator is the fear of lawsuits.
“I wouldn’t discount the liability factor,” Sanborn said. “This is a solution for your PFAS that provides documentation… showing that the material has been destroyed from a regulatory and liability perspective.”
