MBS International Airport (Freeland, Saginaw County)

Andrea Zuidema, ZuidemaA1@Michigan.gov or 989-297-3005.

In 2020, the MBS International Airport located at 8500 Garfield Road, was awarded a PFAS grant from MDOT to determine the potential impact of PFAS from the use of AFFF at the airport. The airport had two historical known areas where AFFF was used. Approximately 50 gallons of AFFF was used in training exercises that took place along the old runway. In 1992 there was a plane crash that occurred on the concrete area near the new terminal, and 200-300 gallons of AFFF was used. The MDOT grant was used to sample surface water and deep groundwater.

In 2022, the airport was awarded another PFAS grant from EGLE to continue investigating groundwater impacts.  In September 2023, the airports contractor collected 17 groundwater samples from various monitoring wells installed at the airport.  Groundwater from seven monitoring wells were above criteria.  The highest results were 41,000 ppt PFHxS (compared to 51 ppt), 14,000 ppt PFOS (compared to 16 ppt), and 3,500 ppt PFOA (compared to 8 ppt).  EGLE received the report with the results from the airport in April 2024.

Because the site has PFAS above groundwater clean-up criteria, in September 2024, the Area of Interest was reclassified to an official MPART site.

The regional groundwater flow was inferred to be to the northeast.  Shallow groundwater flows to the southeast. Potentially impacted waterbodies are the North Branch Squaconning Creek and the West Branch Squaconning Creek, both which flow into the Saginaw River. A potential receptor in the area is the Twin Oaks Golf Course that uses surface water from the West Branch Squaconning Creek to water their greens.

Content posted September 2024.

Four residential wells were sampled on June 24, 2021; the results were all non-detect for PFAS.

EGLE will work with the airport to determine further investigation.