In a letter dated July 30th, 2024, eight U.S. Senators raised questions on the approval process through the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) of new fire retardant being added to the the Qualified Products List (QPL.)
This letter follows industry concern after a new product was added to the QPL in May of 2023, which, during inspections during the Integrated Operational Field Evaluation (I-OFE) revealed significant signs of corrosion on aircraft used in the I-OFE process according to the letter.
The letter (included in full below) also gives a deadline of August 19, 2024 for Under Secretary Wilkes to provide a response to several questions asked of the USFS on retardant testing going forward.
Read the letter in full signed by Senators, Daines, Wyden, Barrasso, Risch, Lee, Heinrich, Lummis and Merkely below.
The Honorable Homer Wilkes
Under Secretary for Natural Resources & Environment
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Under Secretary Wilkes,
We write to you with questions on the approval process for long-term fire retardants at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Long-term fire retardants are a critical wildfire suppression tool, altering the way wildfires burn, decreasing fire intensity, and slowing the advance of wildfires. Already over 4 million acres have burned this year, a sobering reminder that we are facing a wildfire crisis. Wildland firefighters need the newest and most effective technology to protect communities and National Forests across the country.
In December 2022, the USFS announced that a new long-term fire retardant was placed on the agency’s Qualified Product List (QPL) with an interim qualification. The product was the first new long-term fire retardant added to the list in over two decades. In May 2023, the company entered into a contract with the USFS to provide fire retardant during the 2023 wildfire season, beginning the Integrated Operational Field Evaluation (I-OFE). On March 22, 2024, we were informed that the I-OFE for the new product was halted after inspections on two air tankers showed significant signs of corrosion. In response to the damage, the USFS brought in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to conduct an independent assessment of the corrosion.
While we understand and support the USFS’s interest in securing additional long-term fire retardants, that must come with a strong commitment to ensuring there is no risk to firefighter safety or damage to our critical fire suppression resources. To assist our understanding of the process moving forward, we request a response to the following questions by August 19, 2024:
1. What is the anticipated timeline for completion of the NTSB and NIST independent assessment?
2. If NTSB and NIST have recommendations for changes to the USFS’s qualification protocols, will the USFS prioritize implementing those?
3. What other steps is the USFS currently taking to improve the evaluation of new fire retardants that may help avoid future issues during operational field evaluations?
4. Are there additional non-fully qualified fire retardants that are awaiting field testing? If any, will they undergo field testing or be used in firefighting aircraft prior to the results of the NTSB and NIST investigation being released and potential recommendations from NTSB and NIST being fully implemented into the USFS’s qualification protocols?
We appreciate your timely responses to these questions.
