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Firefighting foam containing PFAS was stored and used at the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Air Station in Traverse City from 1978 to the current date and at the Cherry Capital Airport since the 1970s. Annual testing of the firefighting equipment resulted in discharges of the Firefighting foam containing PFAS was stored and used at the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Air Station in Traverse City from 1978 to the current date and at the Cherry Capital Airport since the 1970s. Annual testing of the firefighting equipment resulted in discharges of the firefighting foam to the ground.
Due to the presence of residential wells north of the Cherry Capital Airport and the USCG Air Station, Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) staff collected water samples from temporary groundwater wells along the south side of Parsons Road in September 2020. These samples were collected to determine if the groundwater was contaminated with PFAS.
Groundwater sample results from the temporary monitoring wells showed PFAS in all 10 sampling locations. The contaminants were found from 15 to 54 feet below the ground surface. The PFOA concentrations were above the groundwater cleanup criteria of 8 ppt, with concentrations ranging from below detection limits to as high as 102 ppt. The PFOS concentration were also found above the groundwater cleanup criteria of 16 ppt, with concentrations ranging from below detection limits to 17,900 ppt.
The groundwater generally flows in a northeasterly direction toward East Grand Traverse Bay. The contamination was found approximately 2,050 feet from the Bay.
Content posted April 2021.
Bottled water was provided by the Grand Traverse County Health Department (GTCHD) to residents the week of October 19, 2020. Filters were provided by GTCHD the first 3 weeks of December 2020.
EGLE anticipates receiving draft reports with sampling result in January 2021 from the Cherry Capital Airport and in February 2021 from USCG. EGLE received funding for the municipal connections which will be awarded as a grant. If the grant is awarded to EBT, connections may begin by early February 2021.
