News
Soy-based firefighting foam replacing PFAS chemicals in Ohio
A past chair of the United Soybean Board says increasing access to soy-based firefighting foam could create another opportunity to expand demand.
Steve Reinhard says the Ohio Soybean Council is working with its state partners to help fire departments replace hazardous forever chemicals with a safer alternative.
“It’s good for our first responders, it’s good for the environment, but it’s also good for farmers because we get to use soybean meal or soybean flour to make the product,” he says. “We’re using about 12 million bushels this year just in this year’s introductory phase.”
Chuck Stiver, owner of Ohio-based distributor NextGen BioSolutions, says the state has created the AFFF Takeback Program to take PFAS firefighting foam out of circulation.
“SoyFoam was designed specifically to take that footprint, utilize the same equipment, use the same techniques, and just replace that AFFF one for one,” he says. “Right now, there are departments that are kind of in that flux where that want to give the AFFF product back.”
Reinhard says additional checkoff funding is available for fire departments to help offset the cost.
SoyFoam was developed by Cross Plains Solutions through United Soybean Board checkoff funds and is the first and only firefighting foam to be certified GreenScreen gold status for meeting safety and environmental standards.
Brownfield interviewed Reinhard and Stiver during the 2025 Farm Science Review in London, Ohio.
AUDIO: Steve Reinhard
AUDIO: Chuck Stiver, NextGen BioSolutions
-
-
There is not a single non fluorinated foam on the market that is an equivalent replacement to AFFF, soyfoam included. Non-fluorinated products are absolutely not the same as they do not produce a film and are not oleophobic = application technique is critical. Advertising this product as a drop in replacement for AFFF for all applications is a disservice to the firefighters that will be expected to use it successfully and to the constituents requiring its use.
What a great product – new technology helping to solve problems and create new applications for farm products.
Every Fire Department and business requiring foam should turn to SoyFoam!!