TRAVERSE CITY — Cherry Capital Airport is preparing to remove PFAS-contaminated soil and clean its firefighting equipment as part of a federally funded effort to address legacy contamination tied to decades of aircraft firefighting foam use, according to airport officials.
Bob Nelesen, an airport engineer who oversees environmental compliance, said PFAS contamination at the airport started when the U.S. Navy’s previous operation at the site in the 1940s regularly used aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, during aircraft firefighting emergencies.
Nelesen said the airport is now moving into the third phase of state-funded EGLE grants, marking the first time active remediation will take place rather than just monitoring.
“As part of this particular grant, we’re actually going to be going in and doing some remediation,” Nelesen said, including cleaning PFAS residue out of fire trucks and removing contaminated soil from identified “hotspots” on airport property.
The total grant is approximately $1 million, though only about $250,000 is allocated for cleaning the airport’s firefighting trucks, Nelesen said.
“That’s kind of set aside for that, per truck,” he said, estimating the cost at $100,000 to $150,000 per vehicle.
The remaining $750,000 will be used to excavate contaminated soil, primarily from an area north of the employee parking lot where a future concourse expansion is planned.
“We’re getting that out of the way for our concourse expansion,” Nelesen said.
Nelesen said groundwater contamination has historically been the primary concern at the airport and continues to be monitored in coordination with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
“The best thing to do at this point is just monitor, and we’ll take out those hotspots as we’re able to,” he said.
The cleanup coincides with a nationwide transition away from PFAS-based firefighting foam, following recent changes in federal requirements.
“It’s essentially required by the FAA,” Nelesen said, explaining that new protein-based firefighting agents are now approved for aircraft fires.
The new chemicals have been used in Europe for years but were only recently adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense, prompting airports across the country to begin transitioning.
Nelesen said cleaning the existing fire trucks is a necessary step.
“So the first step is getting the funding to be able to clean out the trucks before we can use the new material,” he said.
Firefighters at the airport have welcomed the transition to the new plant-based firefighting agents, citing long-standing health concerns tied to PFAS exposure, according to airport officials familiar with the response.
One airport firefighter, an Air Force veteran, compared the legacy PFAS-based foam to Agent Orange, arguing that the chemicals have been linked to cancer among former workers and military veterans who were exposed during their careers.
Soil removal will involve extensive testing and disposal at approved landfills equipped to handle PFAS-contaminated material, Nelesen said.
Nelesen emphasized the airport is addressing historical sources of contamination and said no new PFAS releases are occurring.
While additional cleanup sites may be identified in the future, Nelesen called the current project an important starting point.
Nelesen said the airport’s goal is to remain compliant while continuing to protect public safety and the environment.
“We’re looking forward to being a good partner in the community and working with better agents moving forward,” he said.