b'PHOTO: REGENESIS52 MVY ENVIRONMENTALMarthas Vineyard Airport Tests Underground Filtration FACTS&FIGURES Project: PFAS Remediation Pilotfor PFAS Contamination BY SCOTT BERMANLocation: Marthas Vineyard (MA) Airport When officials at Marthas Vineyardto traditional methods of pumping and Installation: Nov.-Dec. 2022 Airport (MVY) became awaretreating tainted water. So far, the results Cost: $272,500 that groundwater in and aroundhave been notably promising. Funding: Airportthe airfield may have been contaminatedThe chemicals in question, per- and Strategy: Injecting liquid-activated carbon into soil to formwith toxic chemicals from firefighting foam,polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS), are found barrier that allows groundwater to flow through but trapsthey took actioneven though federal orin a firefighting product called aqueous toxic chemicals state regulations did not require it. In 2017,film-forming foam (AFFF) used during FAA-Targeted Chemicals: Per- & polyfluoralkyl substancesMVY launched a proactive campaign torequired training exercises and to extinguish (PFAS) from aqueous film-forming foam used by airportunderstand the issue, begin remediationactual fuel fires at airports and other places. firefighting crews during required training & to extinguishand communicate openly about the matterAn agency of the Centers for Disease fuel fires with its neighbors on the 95-square-mile Environmental Consultant/Engineer: Tetra Tech island haven off the Massachusetts coast.Control indicates that being exposed to PFAS may lead to adverse health effects, Groundwater Sampling & AnalysisThe airport initially provided bottledincluding some serious cancers. Drinking Subcontractor: Alpha Analyticalwater and installed point-of-entry treatmentwater contaminated with PFAS is one of Monitoring Well Installation Subcontractor: systems at impacted private wells. Itsseveral ways people are exposed. The New England Geotech subsequent efforts include an innovativechemicals have also been used for decades Remediation Technology Provider: Regenesis (asand ongoing $272,500 pilot project thatin cookware, carpets, fabrics and other subcontractor to Tetra Tech) injected a slurry carbon substance intocommon consumer products. Hydraulic Percussion Injection Rig: Cisco Drillingthe ground. The liquid-activated carbonThe U.S. Environmental Protection (as subcontractor to Regenesis) creates an in-ground filter that allows Preliminary Results: PFAS around injected barrier fellgroundwater to flow through, but trapsAgency is in the process of finalizing rules quickly to less than detectable levels; concentrations infor the production and use of PFAS. A nearby area at lower grade level were reduced by about 80%and holds toxic chemicals the water mightnumber of states reportedly have moved in 3 months; further reductions expected over timecontain. The process is an alternative July | August 2023AirportImprovement.com'