HDOT isolates soil contaminated with PFAS at airport training pits
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation working on a remedial action plan for training pits contaminated by film-forming foams with PFAS.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) is taking steps to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) impacted soil in the vicinity of the Kahului Airport (OGG) Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Training Pit. The steps HDOT is taking include fencing off the area where soil sampling shows PFAS and submission of an interim remedial action plan to the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH).
PFAS is a component of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF). Use of AFFF is necessary for firefighting at airports due to the nature of aircraft fuel fires. AFFF is no longer released in firefighting training but was used in training prior to 2021. ARFF vehicles statewide have been retrofitted to limit the use of AFFF only to fires with or nearby aircraft fuel.