Battelle and Revive Environmental Technologies Officials Join Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to Announce Kickoff of PFAS Takeback Program

State is first in the nation to leverage PFAS Annihilator® technology to completely and safely eliminate state’s stockpile of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs)

Fairborn, Ohio (March 18, 2024)—Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel joined Battelle President and CEO, Lou Von Thaer, and Revive Environmental President and CEO, David Trueba, to announce the launch of the Ohio AFFF Takeback Program at an event near Wright State University. The Takeback program is designed to assist municipal fire departments in safely disposing of AFFFs as Ohio phases out these PFAS-containing firefighting foams.

The PFAS Annihilator® technology—the first-to-market total solution to remove and destroy toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—has been approved to permanently destroy aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) collected through the Ohio AFFF Takeback Program. The innovative technology not only eradicates the contaminants completely but does so without generating harmful PFAS byproducts or transferring the PFAS elsewhere in the process.

 “I am proud of the Battelle team, and our partners at Revive Environmental, who have devoted their time and expertise to tackle such an important and challenging problem facing our state,” said Battelle President and CEO Lou Von Thaer. “This is what we do at Battelle: We find the toughest problems and use science to develop solutions that will make an impact and help improve the world.”

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) began collecting firefighting foam this morning as part of the new AFFF Takeback Program. AFFF is primarily used by fire departments to smother flammable liquid fires, but its high concentrations of PFAS compounds, often called "forever chemicals," resist typical environmental degradation processes and cause long-term contamination of water, soil, and air. Using PFAS Annihilator® technology developed by Battelle, the Ohio AFFF Takeback Program will destroy PFAS in firefighting foam to non-detectable levels through the process of supercritical water oxidation.

“The development of this technology is just another example of how Ohio continues to lead the nation in innovation,” said Governor DeWine. “Through this new program, we’re destroying PFAS, which was once believed to be indestructible, to protect our first responders and safeguard the environment.” 

AFFFs are one of the leading sources of PFAS contamination in drinking water. These “forever chemicals” do not break down readily and persist for decades or more in the environment and in humans. Prior to the PFAS Annihilator®, there was no solution to fully eliminate the highly toxic PFAS. Other traditional treatment methods may not completely destroy the chemicals or may just move them. Incineration for example may result in incomplete breakdown of the PFAS that is then transferred to the air and surrounding communities - causing major long-term environmental concerns.

“Our PFAS Annihilator® is giving environmental protection agencies and local jurisdictions the power to protect their communities and the environment in ways that were not possible before this technology,” said Revive Environmental President and CEO, David Trueba. “Thanks to Ohio’s leadership in addressing PFAS issues, we can further scale the impact of our technology and completely eliminate the future harmful effects of PFAS contamination from AFFFs in the state and across the country.”

Ohio EPA's first AFFF takeback event took place at Wright State University's Calamityville training facility in Fairborn. A total of 1,065 gallons of foam were turned in and will be destroyed using the PFAS Annihilator®. Visitors, officials and members of the media viewed the mobile units and spoke with the experts who developed and operate them.

“We are excited that Governor DeWine has committed the resources to allow fire departments across the state to access this cutting-edge technology developed by our partners at Battelle,” said Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel.

About Battelle
Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org. 

Contact
For more information contact Katy Delaney at (614) 424-7208 or at [email protected] or contact T.R. Massey at (614) 424-5544 or at [email protected].

About Revive Environmental
Revive Environmental is a full-service environmental contaminant mitigation and water treatment company, co-founded by Battelle and Viking Global Investors, and is on a mission to destroy PFAS using ready-now, advanced technologies. These patented technologies - PFAS Annihilator® and GAC Renew™—are commercially available and already operating in the U.S. Revive is rapidly scaling and deploying these technologies to isolate, remove and annihilate PFAS chemicals from landfill leachate, industrial wastewater, drinking water, groundwater, and AFFF firefighting foams. In the first-ever deployment of a PFAS destruction in North America, Revive’s PFAS Annihilator was running in a continuous operation and destroying PFAS in landfill leachate to below the U.S. EPA’s proposed 4 parts per trillion drinking water standards. For more information, visit www.revive-environmental.com. 

Contact
For more information contact Marissa Matchey at (612) 817-9753 or at [email protected].