TagPFAS(33)

This October 2024 report from the Washington State Department of Ecology examines options for collecting and disposing of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), a firefighting chemical that contains harmful PFAS compounds. The Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement evaluates the potential environmental effects of different collection and disposal methods for this toxic foam, which has historically been used at airports and military facilities. It is published by Ecology's Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program and is unrelated to airport noise policy.

The October 2024 special edition of Airport Improvement magazine covers runway and ramp safety projects at airports across the United States, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's transition to PFAS-free firefighting foam. The Seattle-Tacoma article focuses on cleaning PFAS contamination from firefighting vehicles, reflecting broader efforts to eliminate hazardous fluorine-based chemicals from airport operations. Additional stories cover FAA technology deployments, taxiway reconstruction, and airfield safety improvements at airports nationwide.

Highline Water District reached a settlement with the Port of Seattle after PFAS chemicals, likely originating from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport operations, were found to have contaminated the District's Tyee Well, forcing the District to suspend well operations in June 2022. The contamination required the District to purchase more expensive replacement water from Seattle Public Utilities, and new EPA regulations finalized in 2024 further prohibited resuming well use without installing costly treatment facilities. The two parties negotiated a mutual release of claims to resolve the District's operational and financial losses resulting from the contamination.

A SHARP (Site Hazard Assessment Ranking and Prioritization) report for SeaTac Airport covering PFAS contamination identified at four areas: fire station, fuel farm, fire training area, and industrial wastewater system. The report details media scores for groundwater, soil, surface water, sediment, and indoor air, noting concerns about Des Moines Creek and the City of Highline’s

Table I summarizing analytical results for PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in groundwater at Sea-Tac Airport, prepared by Haley & Aldrich, Inc. in August 2023. Groundwater monitoring wells sampled include LAI-4, MW-01, MW-02, MW-03, T-111-MW-1, TF-MW-01 through TF-MW-08-D, DMC Augmentation Well, and Tyee Well, with sample dates ranging from March 2019 to April 2023. Analytes