Elizabeth DeLiefde, DeLiefdeE@Michigan.gov or 906-235-0002
The former Marquette County Airport was operated by Marquette County from 1937 until 1999, when the facility was sold to a private party who has not operated the site as an airport. The former airport site is located on US Highway 41, approximately three miles northeast of Negaunee and approximately seven miles southwest of Marquette in the north-central portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The former facility was comprised of approximately 849 acres of land.
The former airport is primarily surrounded by undeveloped, sparsely wooded land, with limited commercial or industrial use along the southern edge of the property along US Highway 41. Since the airport closed, residential development has occurred along roads to the north, east and western perimeters of the site.
The former Marquette County Airport received PFAS grant funding in September 2020 from the Michigan Department of Transportation, and additional grant funding in 2022 and 2026 from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). These grants were awarded to allow the airport to conduct groundwater, surface water, and soil sampling to delineate the PFAS plume. The most recent grant also includes money for the airport to begin soil remediation for PFAS. Prior to these grants, no investigations into the presence or potential extent of PFAS occurred on this site. PFAS is known to have been released at two locations at the former airport: a former fire training area and former fire and rescue building.
Past studies of fuel and solvent releases at the former airport property indicate groundwater flows in different directions from this site: toward the south/southeast from the central and eastern portions of the site and toward the west/southwest from the central and western portions of the site. Additional investigation occurred to further delineate groundwater flow directions and determine if PFAS migrated off-site.
Sampling of surface water (drainage ditches and ponded water) and groundwater on the airport property showed PFAS exceeding water quality standards. The highest surface water exceedance in May 2023 was 4,790 ppt PFOS (compared to 12 ppt) and the highest groundwater exceedance was 27,400 ppt PFOS (compared to 16 ppt).
Content posted October 2026.
Between 2021 and 2022, 65 residential wells were sampled near the former airport property. PFAS was detected in 8 of the 30 homes. Seven of eight homes with detections were below drinking water criteria.
One home had 190 ppt PFOS, which exceeds drinking water criteria (of 16 ppt).
Filters were offered to each of the homes with a detection, and bottled water is being delivered to the homeowner whose sample was above criteria.
