Results of Michigan Airport Contaminant Testing Delayed

CASCADE TOWNSHIP (AP) — Residents living near an airport in western Michigan will have to wait months to learn how much chemical contaminants from toxic firefighting foam have seeped into their groundwater.

Officials at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport released a letter Thursday saying they don't expect to receive results of testing for perfluorinated chemicals, known as PFAS, until June. Airport authorities say they won't share the results until they're verified later this summer.

The airport southeast of Grand Rapids also objected to the state's request for an investigation into the PFAS-tainted firefighting foam used for several decades, mostly for training. Airport officials deny using foam made with perfluorinated chemicals.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Scott Dean says the agency plans to follow up on the airport's letter this year.

© 2018 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.