Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses.
Mr. Bureau, I met with Guelph's Local 467 of the International Association of Fire Fighters this week. They were talking about PFAS in terms of firefighting equipment, the foam that's being used and the health impacts on firefighters across Canada.
They're asking for a full class of PFAS chemicals under CEPA part 1 of schedule 1. They're asking for a ban on the use of PFAS, support for the reclamation and safe disposal of firefighting gear and foams containing PFAS, assistance for fire departments and municipalities with the costs of transition to PFAS-free protective gear, and the monitoring of the health of firefighters exposed to PFAS in their workplaces.
One of those items they're asking us to pay attention to is the reclamation and safe disposal of firefighting gear. They described to me how after a fire, when the gear is soaked with foam, that builds up over time. I had an image in my mind of a hockey bag. Sometimes you don't want to put that equipment on.
Is there a way of recovering equipment that's been contaminated with PFAS? Is there technology available that the federal government could be supporting?