PlumeStop Successfully Remediates PFAS at Alaska Airport

Background

AFFF releases from firefighting activities are a potential source of PFAS contamination in groundwater at airports worldwide. In many cases, “forever chemicals” migrate away from areas where AFFF was originally discharged to impact potable water wells, public water sources, and other downstream receptors. Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) sits in the heart of Alaska, just below the Arctic circle. In 2017, FAI began an investigation in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the Fairbanks office of Shannon & Wilson, a leading Pacific Northwest-based environmental consulting firm, to investigate the extent of PFAS migration from the site. Onsite monitoring wells were sampled for PFAS, and a few of the wells had PFAS chemicals detected. Since the groundwater was known to move towards properties with private wells, FAI worked quickly with Shannon & Wilson to identify nearby private wells and sample them. The sample results revealed several private wells at properties nearby the airport with combined PFOS and PFOA concentrations above a screening level of 65 nanograms per liter. In response, these “affected” properties were connected to municipal water. Shannon & Wilson then engaged REGENESIS for a pilot test plan to remediate one of the identified AFFF release areas, following successful treatments demonstrated at other sites.

PlumeStop Successfully Remediates PFAS at Alaska Airport