Livingston County Airport (Howell, Livingston County)

Rebecca Taylor, TaylorR@Michigan.gov.

Livingston County Airport also known as Spencer J Hardy Airport is located at 3399 County Airport Drive. In January 2017, a private jet overshot the Livingston County Airport runway and crashed outside of the fenced area near Tooley Road and M-59. Howell Fire Department extinguished the fire using firefighting foam. Jet fuel and the fire suppression foam spilled to an area of sandy soil. In February 2017, 160 cubic yards of the impacted soil was disposed of at a landfill in Canton. Sampling done after remediation showed that jet fuel contaminants had been remediated in the soil to meet Part 201 criteria.

EGLE requested the consultant evaluate potential PFAS contamination from the fire suppression foam. In April and August of 2018, the consultant collected groundwater samples from 12 temporary wells and sampled for PFAS. PFOA + PFOS concentrations did not exceed the 70 ppt criterion which was the Part 201 cleanup criteria at the time.

Since 2018, no further site evaluation has been conducted regarding the PFAS investigation. A residential well is located about 300 feet from the crash site where PFAS was detected in the groundwater. The analytical results indicate a maximum concentration of 59 ppt PFOA in the shallow groundwater that is approximately 7 feet deep. The residence with a drinking water well is located between the crash site and the North Branch of the Shiawassee River.

Groundwater flow is easterly in the general direction of a residential well. The North Branch of the Shiawassee River is approximately 500 feet east of the spill area.

Content posted August 2020.

EGLE staff will coordinate with the local health department, liable party, and residential well owner to sample the downgradient well.

Provide notice to Livingston County Airport that the site of the jet crash is a Part 201 facility because PFOA exceeds newly promulgated criteria. Request a work plan to address the historic PFAS release.