January 31, 2019

Ricky D. Smith, Jr.

Executive Director
Maryland Aviation Administration
PO Box 8766
Third Floor Terminal Bldg.
BWI Airport, MD 21240

Dear Director Smith:

We are writing to you to request the development of a plan to phase out the use of poly- and
perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foam at Maryland’s airports. We are concerned
about the potential harmful health effects of these chemicals. Used in firefighting foams, found
in waste sites, groundwater, and drinking water, PFAS pose a potential threat to the health of
Marylanders.

Humans are exposed to PFAS through many pathways, practices, and products. Although
drinking water is the exposure route for millions of people in the United States, inhalation and
dermal absorption also contribute to burden on the body. Some PFAS bioaccumulate, leading to
concentrations in animals that are significantly higher than the surrounding environment, which
allows them to enter the human food chain.

Health Effects Associated with PFAS Exposure include the following:

• Immune Function. In 2016, the National Toxicology Program, a federal interagency

program that evaluates and identifies the health effects of select substances which could
be hazardous to humans, determined that PFOA and PFOS are hazardous to the immune
system. Adult PFAS exposure has been associated with decreases in antibody
production. Recent results from the NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences cause even more concern about the impact of PFAS on the immune system

• Cancer. PFOA is associated with an increased risk for testicular and kidney
cancer. Among men with a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, PFOA and PFOS
are associated with increased risk for prostate cancer. Animal studies are consistent with
the human epidemiologic studies of cancer endpoints.

• Child Development. PFOA and PFOS cause developmental toxicity in animals. Human
epidemiology studies show associations between some PFAS and developmental
 effects. One study showed that PFAS exposure during pregnancy was associated with
decreased birth weight and head circumference in males. Animal studies show similar
decreases. A recent study of mothers and their babies showed prenatal exposure to PFOS
is associated with cognitive effects and decreased ability to regulate behavior in school-
age children.

• Endocrine Disruption and Fertility. Our endocrine system controls our basic
physiology, including metabolism, growth, fertility, and development. PFAS may
interfere with healthy hormonal function in the body. Early-life exposure to PFAS may
contribute to the development of metabolic diseases, including obesity and type 2
diabetes. Studies of pregnant women show that those with higher prenatal PFAS levels
had children with higher body fat cells at age eight. PFAS also may affect body weight
later in adulthood. A special concern is that PFAS alter thyroid hormone function that
regulates metabolism and growth. Some PFAS decrease fertility and affect the ability to
nurse. Animal studies support these conclusions.

Firefighting foams without PFAS are now required and used successfully in Norway and South
Australia. In 2012 after extensive testing, London’s Heathrow Airport stopped using all PFAS
firefighting foams. In 2015 when a British Airways airbus caught fire, firefighters safely put out
the flames with “zero cleanup costs and zero environmental concerns". The International
Association of Fire Fighters, the American Association of Airport Executives and the Airports
Council International-North America have raised concerns about the use of PFAS.
Section 332 of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-
254, allows airports to use non-fluorinated chemicals to meet the performance standards for
firefighting foam. Such alternatives are preferable because of the reduced health risks and
ecosystem damage. Now that Congress has made this policy change, we request that the
Maryland Aviation Administration agree to phase out the use of PFAS in firefighting foam at
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Martin State Airport, and all other civilian airports as has
already been done in Washington State.
We request the development of a plan to phase out the use of PFAS in firefighting foam at
Maryland’s airports, including consideration of an immediate halt to the use of such foam in
training exercises and a timeline for complete removal of these products. Thank you for your
consideration.

Sincerely,

Senator Cheryl Kagan

Senator Paul Pinsky
Senator Jim Rosapepe
Senator Will Smith
Senator Jeff Waldstreicher
Delegate Erek Barron
Delegate Alice Cain
Delegate Charlotte Crutchfield
Delegate Eric Ebersole
Delegate Tawanna Gaines
Delegate Shelly Hettleman
Delegate Ariana Kelly
Delegate Marc Korman
Delegate Robbyn Lewis
Delegate Brooke Lierman
Delegate Sara Love
Delegate Maggie McIntosh
Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr
Delegate Kirill Reznik
Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith