New Mexico Register / Volume XXXVII, Issue 12 / June 23, 2026

 

 

TITLE 20            ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

CHAPTER 13    PER- AND POLY-FLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS

PART 3                AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM CONTAINING INTENTIONALLY ADDED PER- AND POLY-FLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES

 

20.13.3.1              ISSUING AGENCY: Environmental Improvement Board

[20.13.3.1 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.2              SCOPE: This part applies to any facility that obtains, manufactures, stores, or uses firefighting foam products, hereinafter referred to as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) products containing intentionally added per- or polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) products.

[20.13.3.2 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.3              STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Statutory Authority comes from the Environmental Improvement Act, Sections 74-1-1 NMSA 1978 et seq., and the Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Protection Act, Sections 74-15-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.

[20.13.3.3 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.4              DURATION: Permanent

[20.13.3.4 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.5              EFFECTIVE DATE: August 1, 2026, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.

[20.13.3.5 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.6              OBJECTIVE: The objective of this part is to enact regulations requiring entities to:

               A.           Develop an inventory that identifies and records AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS that are stored or used in New Mexico;

               B.           Properly label containers, including tanks, totes and drums of AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS;

               C.           Use AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS for emergency purposes only; and

               D.           Clean up discarded AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS pursuant to the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act.

[20.13.3.6 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.7              DEFINITIONS: The following terms, as used in this rule, have the following meanings:

               A.           “emergency purposes” include use of AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS to extinguish flammable liquid fires in urgent, life threatening situations such as fuel spills or mobile vehicle (e.g. aircraft) incidents.  For purposes of this subsection, "emergency purposes" does not include training, testing, or the use of firefighting foam in fire suppression systems;

               B.           “inventory” is defined as a record identifying AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS that are stored on site at a facility; and

               C.           “storage” is defined as holding AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS in a physical area of a facility for greater than 24 hours.

[20.13.3.7 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.8              SEVERABILITY: If any provision or application of this part is held invalid, the remainder, or its application to other situations or persons, shall not be affected.

[20.13.3.8 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.9              FIREFIGHTING FOAM INVENTORY: Any facility that obtains, manufactures, stores, or uses AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS must provide the department with an annual inventory of AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS housed on site in the prior calendar year by May 1st of each calendar year. This inventory must include the following elements for all AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS:

               A.           Certification that the products are set aside for emergency purposes only;

               B.           Facility name and address, contact name and phone number;

               C.           Quantity of products stored on site (number and unit of measure), at time of report;

               D.           Product name and trade name of the products;

               E.           Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for the products (either as an online link or an attached copy);

               F.            Type and volume capacity of container in which the products are stored (e.g.55-gallon drum, above/below ground tanks);

               G.           Identified on site storage locations of the products; and

               H.           Any use, sale, disposal, or transfer of the products over the past year. Specifically:

                              (1)          the date and quantity of the use; and

                              (2)          the date and quantity of the shipment or transfer including the name and address of the recipient.  In addition, if there are any changes to the volumes of AFFF product containing intentionally added PFAS reported in the annual inventory due to emergency use, spill, or off-site disposal or transfer activities, the department must be notified of stored volume changes within 24 hours.

[20.13.3.9 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.10            LABELING:  All containers where AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS are stored on site must be clearly labeled and visible with the following information:

               A.           “For Emergency Use Only. Contains PFAS;”

               B.           The on-site accumulation start date;

               C.           Hazard identification representing the nature of the hazard (e.g. pictogram);

               D.           Expiration date if applicable; and

               E.           Date of manufacture, if known.

[20.13.3.10 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.11.           RECORDKEEPING: Any facility that obtain, manufactures, stores, or uses AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS must keep a copy of all relevant documents related to the stored products for at least three years from the year the products began accumulating at the site. Records that must be maintained include:

               A.           Product inventory;

               B.           Documentation of transfers, offsite disposal, and/or sale of products;

               C.           Documentation of AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS used for emergency; responses and spills; and

               D.           Emergency Response Plan.

The period of retention referred to in this section is extended automatically during the course of any unresolved enforcement action regarding the regulated activity or as requested by the department.

[20.13.3.11 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.12            STORAGE REQUIREMENTS: This section requires the storage of AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS pursuant to 40 CFR 265.31, 40 CFR 265.32, 40 CFR 265.33, 40 CFR 265.35, 40 CFR 265.171, 40 CFR 265.177.

[20.13.3.12 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.13            EMERGENCY USE OF FIREFIGHTING FOAM ONLY: This section stipulates that AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS may only be used for emergency purposes in New Mexico.  All entities that obtain, manufacture, store, or use AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS must develop and maintain on site an emergency plan that includes the following elements:

               A.           Anticipated uses of the AFFF products containing intentionally added PFAS;

               B.           Description of the actions facility personnel must take in response to fires involving flammable liquids;

               C.           Description of the arrangements agreed to with the local police department, fire department, other emergency response teams, emergency response contractors, equipment suppliers, local hospitals or, if applicable, the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC);

               D.           The name of the emergency coordinator(s) and emergency telephone number(s) that are monitored seven days a week, 24 hours a day, or, in the case of a facility where an emergency coordinator is continuously on duty, the emergency telephone number for the emergency coordinator;

               E.           Evacuation plan for facility personnel where there is a possibility that evacuation could be necessary. This plan must describe signal(s) to be used to begin evacuation, evacuation routes, and alternate evacuation routes (in cases where the primary routes could be blocked); and

               F.            List of all emergency equipment at the facility (such as fire extinguishing systems, spill control equipment, communications and alarm systems (internal and external), and decontamination equipment), where this equipment is required. This list must be kept up to date. In addition, the plan must include the location and a physical description of each item on the list, and a brief outline of its capabilities.

[20.13.3.13 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

20.13.3.14            CLEAN UP OF FIREFIGHTING FOAM: This section requires the cleanup of discarded firefighting foam pursuant to 20.4.1 NMAC Hazardous Waste Act and the Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Protection Act, Sections 74-15-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.

[20.13.3.14 NMAC – N, 08/01/2026]

 

 

HISTORY OF 20.13.3 NMAC - [RESERVED]