Lang
10/2/23
The Eastern Iowa Airport is testing private wells near Swisher in search of so-called “forever chemicals”.
Recent testing done on airport-adjacent properties by the University of Iowa came back positive for per- and polyfluorinated substances — or PFAS. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says no level of PFAS is safe. Levels found in a well on Walford Road…along the south border of the airport property…were three times the previous safety limit set by the EPA. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports water from Plum Creek…which starts on the south end of the airport property and empties into the Iowa River…had levels of one PFAS that were 2,000 times what is considered safe for human consumption.
PFAS has been used to fight airport fires since the 1960’s, and officials with the Eastern Iowa Airport have indicated the PFAS found on nearby properties could be from their firefighting foam.
The UI began offering free testing for residents living near the airport in 2020 after the university’s Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination realized PFAS could be a danger to the airport’s neighbors.
About 20 more wells in the Swisher area will be tested this fall to help gauge the scope of the contamination.