The Dane County Board on Feb. 6 passed a resolution that paves the way for a land sale near the Dane County Regional Airport for future housing. The board added the provision that funds resulting from the release of the deed restriction shall be used for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS remediation.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals found in products, including firefighting foam, that can leak into the soil and water, leading to serious health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues, and cancer.
Truax Field Air National Guard Base and Dane County Regional Airport are contaminated sites due to their long-time use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams in operations and training exercises. The PFAS washed into the nearby creek and seeped through the soil into the groundwater in the area, impacting a large part of Dane County. As part of the Airport Joint Use Agreement discussions, the board emphasized moving away from firefighting foam with PFAS and toward fluorine-free foam (F3). This PFAS-free foam was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
As of October 2024, all firefighting apparatuses have been transitioned to F3. Future firefighting operations will be conducted using F3, eliminating future contamination of the airport with PFAS from fluorine foam.
