Cleanup of firefighting foam in Batavia creek starts

Cleanup has begun of a Batavia creek into which firefighting foam leaked last week.

The Flint Group, the company that discharged the foam, has hired Clean Harbors and Ramboll to clean Mahoney Creek, according to a city news release.

They are using vacuum trucks, absorbent booms, pumps and other equipment.

The city says residents may continue to see the foam for several weeks. If they do, they should call the police records department at (630) 454-2500 to report it.

Any residents who had foam flow onto their properties should call the city at (630) 454-2002 or send an email to mcreek@bataviail.gov.

According to a statement from Flint, the aqueous film-forming foam was discharged when an exterior fire suppression system was activated on the night of March 8. There was no fire.

The foam went into a containment basin, but a valve in the basin malfunctioned, and the foam leaked out. It went into a stormwater sewer, which empties into Mahoney Creek.

The creek flows to the Fox River.

City officials said the foam contained PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS may harm the health of humans and animals, according to the EPA.