KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, or MPART, and the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport will update residents on its investigation of PFAS contamination on and near the Airport.
MPART representatives from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), along with the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department and the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, will host a virtual community meeting on Monday, March 1, 2021 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The March 1 meeting is an online event rather than an in-person meeting due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
To view or participate in the online meeting, visit the website https://bit.ly/3aV5J4z. Individuals without internet access can listen to the meeting by calling this toll-free number, 877-309-2074, and entering the access code, 374288#.
After the presentations, there will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions. The meeting will be recorded and posted along with the meeting materials within a few days, and can be viewed on the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team’s website: https://www.michigan.gov/
Background:
Last year, the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport applied for and received a grant from the State of Michigan to test the soil and groundwater around the airport for PFAS. They applied for the grant as part of a proactive effort to determine if any of the ground around the airport contained PFAS.
In the past, airport firefighters used Class B Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. These foams are known to contain PFAS.
A confirmed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contamination at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport has been found in several areas around the airport.
These areas coincide with fire fighter responses to aircraft accidents using aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). Soil testing found PFAS contaminates ranging from Not Detected (ND) to 3,990 PPT.
Kalamazoo County Environmental Health Division has confirmed, based on the test results, that there are no human exposure pathway risks to public health, and that the City of Kalamazoo drinking water is not impacted by the contamination.
Further Information:
- For questions about the investigation or for a copy of the presentation materials, contact Erica Bays, EGLE, at bayse@michigan.gov or call her at 269-340-0080.
- For questions related to PFAS and health, contact Bill Farrell, MDHHS at farrellw@michigan.gov or call him at 517-243-5350 or 800-648-6942 and ask for Bill.
- Individuals needing language assistance or accommodations for effective participation at the meeting should contact Erica Bays by February 24, 2021 to request language, visual, hearing, translation, or other assistance.
