The Fairbanks City Council approved a resolution at its meeting earlier this week stating the city’s legislative and capital priorities for 2019, one of which includes help with groundwater contamination emanating from a fire training facility.
Fairbanks’ 2019 legislative priorities include seeking assistance for groundwater contamination due to aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, use at the Fairbanks Regional Fire Training Center.
“AFFF contamination is a state-wide problem and should be addressed on a state-wide basis,” the resolution states.
The resolution goes on to state that Fairbanks has spent approximately $4 million on remediation for contamination related to training from multiple agencies, “... i.e. Fairbanks International Airport, the University,] and other firefighting agencies.”
Specifically, Fairbanks is asking for the creation of a group to craft and implement “a scientifically sound, thoughtful and proactive state approach to managing this emerging contaminant.”