Barnstable County is working to determine just how far the forever chemicals known as PFAS have spread from the former Fire and Rescue Training Academy in Hyannis.
Past training activities at the academy led to PFAS contaminating groundwater. PFAS are harmful chemicals that are found in firefighting foams.
Roger Thibault is the Licensed Site Professional for the County cleanup project.
He spoke at an update on the project on Thursday, July 27.
He said recent testing of a plume – or the concentrated PFAS in the groundwater – near the academy has spread around a half mile southeast towards the Cape Cod Gateway Airport.
“We’re talking about in that magnitude, over 2000 feet… This is quite a plume.”
He said next steps include gathering more data from recently-installed long-term monitoring wells in the area.
The County is also coordinating with the airport to use some of their wells to not duplicate efforts.
The cleanup team recently collected groundwater samples near the site. Over half of those samples exceeded the state’s standards for PFAS.
There is already a pump and treat system in place at the former academy for remediation, but Thibault said an expanded system will be necessary as work continues.
The estimated cost of the County’s cleanup project is between $20 – 60 million dollars and is likely to increase.
Paul Ruszala, Barnstable County’s Assets and Infrastructure Manager, gave an update on potential funding sources to help pay for the work.
He said the cleanup team had a meeting with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) this month.
MassDEP told Ruszala the County cleanup is a high priority for them.
"A very complex site with multiple plumes. Different towns and water supplies potentially impacted," Ruszala said.
MassDEP said the project is eligible for a multi-state grant through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The grant is for $70,000, but Ruszala said it could lead to more state and federal funding in the future.
“It’s great news for the County and for everyone impacted by the plume - that this could be potential. Hopefully we can have some assistance and either move things along or get some additional resources down the road with it, which would be great.”
PFAS are a class of chemicals that have been linked health problems, including an increased risk for some types of cancer.
PFAS are referred to as the forever chemicals because they don't break down over time.
Hyannis drinking water has been treated for PFAS since 2016.
