BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Battle Creek officials announced Monday that the city has received a $196,093 state grant to test for potential PFAS contamination at the Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field.
PFAS are a group of manmade chemicals that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has named emerging contaminants nationally. They have been used in items like carpet, food wrappers and, relevant to this grant award, firefighting foam. These chemicals do not break down in the environment, and animal studies show they may be harmful.
The Ann Arbor-based LimnoTech will focus the investigation on sites where the City of Battle Creek aircraft rescue and firefighting services have used firefighting foam. The city took over airport firefighting services from the Michigan Air National Guard in 2014; the grant allows investigation only of non-military uses of potential PFAS.
The investigation will test for PFAS in the soil, stormwater and/or groundwater at those identified sites. There is one where an aircraft crashed at the northeast end of the airport grounds, one on the far west side, one on the far east side and a possible test site at the northeast end.
The city must use this grant within 18 months and will submit a report to EGLE and Michigan Department of Transportation Aeronautics.
In 2018, the city tested its water system for PFAS. They were not found at any level in the city’s drinking water, officials said.
More information about PFAS in Michigan is at Michigan.gov/pfasresponse.
