Transport Canada documents show PFAS concerns as far back as 1984

Files obtained through access-to-information requests show Transport Canada raised concerns in the 1980s about toxic effluent from firefighter training foams that are now known to contain PFAS; some local water sources today exceed Health Canada PFAS guidelines and proposed class actions and cleanup efforts are active.

Transport Canada documents obtained via access-to-information requests indicate the department raised environmental concerns about effluent from airport firefighter training sites as early as 1984. For many years Transport Canada, the Department of National Defence and others used aqueous film-forming foams at airports for firefighting training. Those foams are now associated with PFAS contamination of groundwater at some sites, and the newly obtained reports and current testing have led to legal filings and remediation work in affected communities. Key findings: - A 1984 report, titled a preliminary environmental impact assessment, reported that typical effluents "may be toxic at concentrations as low as 88 ppm" and identified "surfactants" (a term then used for what are now known as PFAS) as a major pollution source. - A 1990 report warned that runoff from firefighter training areas posed a risk of groundwater contamination and noted that about 30 percent of surveyed sites did not meet containment standards set in 1979. - Transport Canada managed many airport training exercises where foams containing PFAS were used; the department told CBC News those activities followed the policies and environmental practices in place at the time and that "PFAS was not known to be a contaminant at the time." - Recent testing and municipal monitoring show some water sources exceed Health Canada’s drinking-water guideline for PFAS (the report cites Trout Lake in North Bay at about 58 nanograms per litre and wells near some Newfoundland airports described as significantly above the guideline). - Proposed class-action lawsuits have been filed or proposed in multiple locations; one proposed class action in Newfoundland must be certified by a judge before it can proceed. Summary: The documents indicate Transport Canada had evidence in the 1980s that firefighter training effluent could be toxic and persistent. Some affected water sources now report PFAS levels above Health Canada guidelines and at least one community is undertaking a reported multi‑million‑dollar remediation. Proposed class actions have been filed and require judicial certification before moving forward.