The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff are partnering to replace a harmful chemical in firefighting foams with a SoyFoam.

The initiative collects and destroys firefighting foam that contains PFAS, a forever chemical linked to a range of negative health effects. PFAS are hard to break down in the environment and can contaminate water and soil.

DANR said fire departments that provide PFAS-based firefighting foam will be given a 5-gallon container of a soy-based alternative foam that’s designed to help meet the operational needs while reducing environmental impacts.

DANR said a similar statewide foam collection effort in 2020 collected over 3,800 gallons of PFAS-containing foam from 36 fire departments and one airport.