State Expands PFAS Foam Destruction, Awards $8.8 Million for School-Route Safety — but Dublin Isn't on Either List Yet

Ohio expanded a program this week to collect and destroy toxic firefighting foam from fire departments statewide and awarded roughly $8.8 million for school-route safety projects across 14 counties. Neither program has a confirmed Dublin connection — raising a straightforward question for residents: when do these state initiatives reach local fire stations and school corridors?

The expanded Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Takeback Program, funded with more than $13 million from Ohio's DuPont settlement, is now accepting Round Two registrations through Sept. 4, 2026. The Safe Routes to School grants — $8,778,663.50 across 17 projects — are scheduled for state fiscal years 2027 through 2030. Both programs carry real stakes for Dublin families and firefighters. AFFF contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, persistent chemicals often called "forever chemicals" because they resist natural degradation and can contaminate water, soil and air.

Foam Destruction: 13,500 Gallons Down, Dublin's Inventory Unknown

The AFFF Takeback Program launched in 2024 to collect and destroy PFAS-containing foam from fire departments and airports across the state. Since then, Ohio has destroyed more than 13,500 gallons of the toxic foam collected from 118 fire departments and two airports, using destruction technology that mineralizes it into water, carbon dioxide and inorganic salts. Participating departments receive certificates of destruction after their foam is collected and processed.

Gov. Mike DeWine framed the effort as a direct public-health measure. "The goal is to protect the public, the environment, and firefighters by keeping this dangerous foam out of circulation," he said.

The program is free to eligible Ohio fire departments, emergency management agencies and publicly owned airports. To register, departments must provide inventory details — foam type, quantity, manufacturer, purchase and manufacture dates, container type, numbers of sealed and unsealed containers, and container images when available. Departments that participated in Round One must register again for Round Two. Collection of registered foam is expected to begin in November, after the Sept. 4 deadline. Registration is available through the Ohio EPA portal at oh.revive-environmental.com.

As of Sept. 2, Dublin Fire had not publicly disclosed whether it holds PFAS-containing foam, what quantity or type it may have, or whether it has registered for Round Two. The department's participation status — or lack of it — is a concrete gap residents can press. State eligibility details are available through the Ohio AFFF Takeback Program.

School-Route Safety: $8.8 Million Awarded, Dublin Not Among Recipients

DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn announced the Safe Routes to School awards on Aug. 13, 2026, funding 17 projects to improve student walking and biking safety through infrastructure improvements. The grants can cover sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, traffic-calming features, school travel plans, public education campaigns and coordinator positions. Awarded projects may include right-of-way acquisition, design and construction phases.

Two awards landed in Dublin's neighboring counties. In Franklin County, Columbus received funding for its Mobility–Livingston Avenue project, which will add sidewalks on both sides of Livingston Avenue between Elderwood Avenue and Hamilton Road. In Delaware County, Genoa Township received a $239,000 grant for engineering and construction, with the full project budget covered through the program.

Dublin does not appear among the 17 recipients. The city is developing a Pedestrian & Bicycle School Safety Action Plan, which signals ongoing local planning — but as of Sept. 2, neither Dublin City Schools nor the city has announced a Safe Routes to School application, specific school-route projects or timelines for local improvements.

Program details and future funding cycles are posted at transportation.ohio.gov/business/funding/safe-routes-to-school. ODOT also maintains a TIP Projects Dashboard through ArcGIS mapping tools that tracks funded transportation projects, including Safe Routes to School awards. Dublin City Schools' Transportation Department can be reached at 614-764-5926.

What Dublin Residents Can Do Now

Two state programs with direct local relevance — one protecting firefighters and drinking water, the other protecting children walking to school — are moving forward. Dublin's place in either remains undocumented. Residents seeking answers on Dublin Fire's foam inventory or Dublin City Schools' funding plans can contact the respective departments directly or request records through public-records channels. The announcements are real; what they deliver to Dublin is the part still missing.