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EGLE awards $9 million in PFAS response grants to 19 Michigan airports
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David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU. And it's been a while, but today, we're going to return our attention to PFAS contamination. This time around, it's in the realm of aviation operations. I'm David Fair, and welcome to this week's edition of Issues of the Environment. Firefighting foam has been used for decades and to good effect when it comes to safety, but that foam contains environmental and health hazards because it's full of PFAS. That means many, if not most, of our airports are contaminated. The State Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is investing in dealing with the problem. EGLE has selected 19 airports and issued grant funding to better address the concentration of PFAS contamination. $250,000 of that money is going to go to the Willow Run Airport that resides on the Washtenaw and Wayne County border. Here to talk us through it today is Eric Larson, and Eric is the Senior Geologist at EGLE. And, Eric, thank you so much for making time for us today!
Eric Larson: Oh, thank you! Appreciate it!
David Fair: We've known about PFAS contamination at Willow Run for quite some time. Back in 2019, higher levels were detected in surface level waters in Willow Creek, and that led to further investigation where it was then discovered in the groundwater. What is your understanding of the scope of contamination at the Willow Run Airport today?
Eric Larson: Well, there have been previous investigations that have been done through, I believe, two separate previous grants, like you had said, I think, beginning in 2019. And what had been found is, like you had said, through, historically, the use of 8FFF foam, there were discovered two areas of source material which are in the soils in the groundwater which are PFAS containing. And what we are looking at investigating is to further delineate the extent of the source material from these two areas and how they are potentially impacting the storm lines, which do discharge then to, like you had said, to some of the surface bodies in the area.
David Fair: So, the state has awarded some $9 million grants to address PFAS contamination at 19 different airports in this go-round. About a quarter million dollars of that money will go to Willow Run. How in specific will that money be used and how will it not be used?
Eric Larson: Well, the areas that it will be used for is to conduct further investigations of the soils in the groundwater. The potential impacts on PFAS for the soils in the groundwater principally are for potential impacts to drinking water wells. Most of the area surrounding the Willow Run Airport is not on private water wells. However, there are some that are in the area, so this investigation is to define the extent of that impact and the potential of the groundwater impacting the drinking water wells in the area. There is a significant clay barrier in the areas of somewhere in the 60 to 80 feet, which does prevent migration. So, the impact to drinking water wells is not as significant as the other area that has the potential is impact into the storm lines, which do discharge into the surface bodies of the of the area.
David Fair: I hate to sound cynical because money and investigation is important. But in today's world, it seems like $250,000 can be used up pretty quickly. How far can this particular grant take us in the investigation?
Eric Larson: Well, yes, the purpose of this grant is, and I am sorry, the third aspect in addition to the investigation of the groundwater and the storm is to develop remedial options or what we call feasibility analysis. And that feasibility analysis would evaluate things such as treating of the stormwaters and in potentially things, such as excavating or remediating the source materials, but you are correct. The awarded grant is not proposed to institute a remedial option based upon the feasibility analysis, which will be completed. That remedial option will be best identified and, through that, will be the next phase of the work.
David Fair: WEMU's Issues of the Environment conversation with EGLE Senior Geologist Eric Larson continues. And, Eric, as you mentioned, once we get to the end of this phase, there's going to have to be determinations made on how best to move forward ultimately with remediation. How closely are you working with airport officials and officials from the municipalities in the areas to ensure we get to that place of cleanup?
Eric Larson: We are in constant contact with the current owner of the property, or the Wayne County Airport Authority. Like you had said, this site is on the border of Washtenaw County and Wayne County, so we have been dealing with both Washtenaw County Health Department, as well as the Wayne County Health Department.
David Fair: I know that we've been talking pretty exclusively about the environmental component of PFAS contamination, but you did mention the possibility of well contamination and the contamination of drinking water. There's a public health component that does need to be addressed. So, what are the state's documented findings to this point when it comes to PFAS exposure through the firefighting foam and for those working and living near the affected airports?
Eric Larson: Yes, we have identified and sampled the drinking water wells of locations surrounding the Willow Run Airport. And to this point, none of those drinking water wells have come back. The analytical data has not come back with any PFAS constituents above the laboratory detection limit.
David Fair: We know that PFAS is a known carcinogen that can affect the immune system and cause cancer. Are there any advisories in place at this time? It sounds as though it is relatively well in hand.
Eric Larson: You know, there are. And I am not the expert on this aspect of EGLE in our issues of warnings and such. There are some surface bodies, which do have fish advisories and things like this. I do not know if any of those are in effect for any of the downgrading surface bodies from the Willow Run Airport.
David Fair: So, I know when it comes to grant funding that you're sometimes working at least a year, sometimes multiple years in advance. So, after this round of grant money is exhausted, are there already efforts underway to ensure there will be more grant money to supplement any future cleanup efforts?
Eric Larson: I'm not really privy to that information. I know that our MPART group is very active and is very active both within liable parties and in situations in obtaining of grants and such. So, I do not know of any future funding that would be made available, but we certainly are continuing to investigate and remediate PFAS constituents at airports.
David Fair: So, to bring it back to your area of expertise, and that, of course, being geology, have you had personal opportunity to take a look at the situation surrounding the Willow Run Airport and are you personally concerned about the levels of PFAS being discovered?
Eric Larson: Well, as far as the geologic aspects of things, I do not have concerns regarding impacts to the drinking water wells just because--
David Fair: That's great news!
Eric Larson: Like I had said, there is a significant confining layer that does not allow for groundwater impact. And the groundwater that we are encountering is what we call perched water. It is not a drinking water source. The drinking water source is actually at a depth of somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 to 100 feet. And what we are sampling and investigating is water that is in the area of five to ten feet. It is not a drinking water source. So, the PFAS in that groundwater is not something that I would see as an immediate risk to residents and such. It does come contact with the storm lines, and it's in the potential for impact in the storm lines is something that would be, I believe, more of the remedial option that we would be looking to address.
David Fair: Eric, I can't thank you enough! I appreciate the information and your perspective, and perhaps we'll have opportunity to discuss this again in the future when we're further along.
Eric Larson: Great! Thank you very much! Appreciate your time!
David Fair: That is Eric Larson, Senior Geologist with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and our guest on Issues of the Environment. For more information about PFAS at our airports and the grant money awarded to address the issues, stop by our website at WEMU.org. Issues of the Environment is produced in partnership with the Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner, and you hear it every Wednesday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU Ypsilanti.
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