Maui groundwater has PFAS 80 million times over EPA limit

By Pat Elder
December 31, 2022

A Storm drain carries untreated surface water from Kahului Airport on the island of Maui to the ocean.

- Photo hidot.hawaii.gov/

Mahealani Richardson with Hawaii News Now has been doing some fantastic reporting on PFAS contamination. The news is stunning, although I’m not sure the public understands how to put it into meaningful perspective. I can try. Quotes from Mahealani’s reporting are followed by my commentary in italics.

“Researchers said the highest concentration of PFOS found in the groundwater (at Kahului Airport) was 1,600 parts-per-billion.”

1,600 parts-per-billion is the same as 1,600,000 parts-per trillion. The EPA says groundwater is a potential threat to human health if it is found with concentrations greater than .02 part-per-trillion. Kahului’s groundwater is 80 million times over the EPA threshold.

“Officials said five PFAS compounds (PFOS, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFHpS, and PFOSA) were identified in groundwater beneath the fire training pit.” 

The other PFAS compounds are also dangerous, although we don’t know their concentrations.

“The DOH environmental action level for PFOS in groundwater is 1.1 parts-per billion.”

This is the same as 1,100 parts per trillion, which is 55,000 times above the EPA threshold for groundwater.

“The groundwater at the fire training area is not a source of drinking water and will not impact a source of drinking water,” said health department spokesperson, Brooks Baehr.”

European Food Safety Authority studies suggest up to 86% of PFAS exposure in humans stems from food intake, especially from seafood, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says there is no evidence that dietary choices should consider PFAS contamination.

“Baehr said adverse health effects from the “forever chemicals” is still being gathered through scientific studies and much is unknown.”

A lot is known, too, especially concerning the propensity of PFOS to bioaccumulate in aquatic life. This is where Hawaiians are most vulnerable and health officials are most culpable.

Storm drains at Kahului Airport carry surface waters containing various contaminants away from the airport. The drains flow directly into the ocean without receiving treatment. Groundwater flows mauka to makai (from the upland to the ocean.).

“Officials said the chemicals leached into groundwater but the area is not a source of drinking water.”

It’s about the fish more than it is about the drinking water, but the Hawaiians don’t want to hear it.

“We found measures that were above the action levels for PFAS in that area and that’s for direct exposure,” said Ed Sniffen, state Department of Transportation director. “To eliminate the potential for direct exposure, we fenced that full area off.”

The ocean is just a few thousand feet away. The primary pathway to human exposure is from the seafood, although the carcinogens must not be allowed to dry and become airborne where they settle in our lungs and in the dust in our homes.

“It’s really dangerous and because it’s a foam, it can be hundreds of feet, thousands of feet away from where the fire was,” said Ann Wright, retired Army colonel and activist.”

Although this is true, and most important in this context, studies have documented PFOS traveling 20 miles in waters.

“State firefighters stopped training with AFFF in 2021. The department said there is no public access to this contaminated area.”

That’s not the issue. These chemicals find pathways to the public.

“The DOT started testing because of national concerns over PFAS forever chemicals.”

Some states, like Minnesota, started testing in 2004.

“We don’t use AFFF in any of our training anymore. It’s all containerized,” Sniffen said. “It’s all sealed to keep everybody safe when they use it.”

The PFAS in AFFF is unsafe as soon as it is manufactured because it causes cancer and we don’t know how to dispose of it.  This reason explains why most of the world has shifted to very capable fluorine-free firefighting foams.

“A 2020 Army report said there were releases of firefighting foam at random locations at the Kalaeloa Airport. Sniffen said he wasn’t aware of future soil testing there.”

Who is in charge? Ultimately, it is Governor Josh Green and since the spill of AFFF concentrate, he has been on the sidelines. Eventually, the state will wake up to this disaster.

“The DOT is working with the state Health Department on a plan to remediate the Maui site.”

“Remediate” means to clean up. Not a single military site or municipal airport in the entire country has been cleaned up, so please show us the plan when you finalize it.

Sources:

Hawaii News Now--Fire fighting Training pits at Honolulu International airport, Kahului airport contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’  Dec. 29, 2022  https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/12/30/dot-confirms-training-pits-hnl-kahului-airports-contaminated-with-forever-chemicals/

DOT: Soil, groundwater at Maui airport pit contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’  Dec. 28, 2022 https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/12/29/dot-confirms-contaminated-soil-groundwater-kahului-airport-training-pit/

Special thanks to the Downs Law Group for their continued financial support. We couldn’t continue to create these reports at this pace without their help.

The firm is working to create a multi-base coalition to provide legal representation and blood testing to individuals with a high likelihood of exposure to PFAS and other contaminants.

Interested in joining a multi-base class action law suit pertaining to illnesses stemming from various kinds of environmental contamination? See the Veterans & Civilians Clean Water Alliance Facebook group.

Military Poisons and the Women’s League for Peace and Freedom, US are continuing to raise funds to cover the costs of PFAS seafood testing in south Florida. You can make a tax-deductible contribution here.  What’s in your fish? What’s in your blood?