Earlier today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Press Release highlighting the collaboration between the Tucson International Airport (TUS) and the EPA. This agreement exemplifies the commitment the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) has to the Tucson community. The TAA, through the remedial investigation it agrees to under the Settlement Agreement, will conduct a thorough investigation of the presence of PFAS on TUS property, and hopefully help to determine a possible source of PFAS in the Tucson aquifer. This highlights the challenge for the Tucson Airport Authority and all other operators of commercial airports across the country when confronting the PFAS challenge – the TAA was required to use firefighting foam containing PFAS for decades by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the FAA’s commercial airport certification requirements (Part 139). This regulation has been in place for the safety of the traveling public. This demands a comprehensive national solution, and TAA (and all other commercial service airports) should not bear the burden of the investigation and remediation costs associated with PFAS.

Click the link to read the full EPA press release. (EPA and Tucson Airport Sign Agreement to Protect Major Drinking Water Source for Tucson | US EPA)

For further inquiries on this Preliminary Assessment, please reach out to Chief Communications Officer, Austin Wright at Awright@flytucson.com.