(Dalton, GA) – Clinchco Volunteer Fire Department is the first fire department in Virginia to adopt SoyFoam™ TF 1122, a soy-based firefighting foam designed to protect firefighter health, reduce environmental impact, and support American farmers. The department’s switch reflects growing momentum across the country to replace traditional foam products that contain harmful PFAS chemicals with safer, sustainable alternatives.
The southwestern Virginia Fire Department tried samples of the product in their existing equipment, which led to their decision to switch to the foam to also protect firefighters and communities. “We are excited to be the first department to switch over to SoyFoam. When we attended FDIC in Indianapolis, this caught my eye. First off, I was amazed how many uses soybeans have. But to have SoyFoam and it be better than the other foams we have used in the past was mind blowing,” said Chief Mullins of Clinchco Volunteer Fire Department.
“I am glad there is an alternative from all the other foams that are full of PFAS. It pleases me that our department can reduce health and environmental risks with SoyFoam. It reduces the
pollution; being nontoxic and biodegradable is great for our firefighters as well as the environment. I think any department that will demo this product and do the research on SoyFoam will be impressed and switch over as well.”
Traditional firefighting foams often contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—toxic “forever chemicals” linked to a host of health issues, including cancer and thyroid disorders. SoyFoam™ is 100% free of intentionally added PFAS and fluorines. It is also the first and only firefighting foam to be GreenScreen Certified® at the Gold level, a designation that recognizes products made without chemicals of high concern.
“As a firefighter, I’ve seen firsthand the risks we take, not just from flames, but from the very tools we use to fight them. Once I saw what SoyFoam could do, I knew I had to get it into the hands of more departments,” says Ray Richards, firefighter and Virginia SoyFoam distributor through his company, Vir-Mar Fire Foam LLC. “I believe in this product not just because it works, but because it protects my fellow firefighters and the communities we serve. That’s why I became a distributor: it’s more than business, it’s a mission.”
SoyFoam™ is manufactured by Cross Plains Solutions in Dalton, Georgia using U.S.-grown soy flour. The United Soybean Board, through the soybean checkoff, invested farmer dollars into SoyFoam research and new market opportunities for soybeans.
“We are proud that soybeans, like the ones we grow here in Virginia, can help protect firefighters as well as our communities,” said Susan Watkins, United Soybean Board Demand Action Team Lead and a Virginia soybean farmer. “It’s not just about growing a crop anymore, it’s about growing solutions. SoyFoam is proof that agriculture and innovation can work hand-in-hand to make a difference.”
“Clinchco’s adoption of SoyFoam shows how rural departments can lead on innovation,” said Alan Snipes, CEO of Cross Plains Solutions. “We’re grateful to the United Soybean Board and U.S. soybean farmers for backing the development of a product that keeps firefighters safe while creating real agricultural value.”
SoyFoam™ TF 1122 is certified readily biodegradable by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and is 84% biobased, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred® program. Current formulations have the potential to use the protein from more than 12 million bushels of soybeans annually.