The Hawai’i Department of Transportation (HDOT) announced Tuesday it would be taking steps to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the soil near the Kahului Airport Aircraft Rescue ad Firefighting Training Pit (ARFF).
HDOT said they would take steps, including fencing off the area where soil sampling has found PFAS and submitting an interim remedial action plan to the Hawai’i Department of Health (HDOH).
HDOT said the PFAS area is a component of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which 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 before 2021. ARFF vehicles across the state have been retrofitted to limit the use of AFFF, the department said. AFFF use will only be allowed on fires with or nearby aircraft fuel.
The department said it began soil sampling for PFAS at six locations – the ARFF training pits at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, the Kahului Airport, the Ellison Onizuka International Airport at Keahole; two training pits and the Hilo International Airport; and the former ARFF training pit at the Lihue Airport. The soil at the Kahului Airport ARFF training pit found several PFAS compounds at or above HDOH environmental action levels.
HDOT will fence in the site at the Kahului Airport as a temporary measure to prevent any direct contact with the soil. The department said it would continue to work with HDOH on remedial actions.
Sampling also found that PFAS has also impacted groundwater beneath the fire training area. However, that groundwater is not a source of drinking water and does not threaten other drinking water resources on the island. Additional investigation of potential groundwater contamination is ongoing, officials said.