By Beth Milligan | March 16, 2021

Traverse Metropolis commissioners on Monday agreed to pay greater than $ 40,000 in clean-up prices associated to 2 unintended releases of fireside extinguishing foam containing per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) throughout coaching incidents on the Cherry Capital Airport. However the airport’s refusal to contribute to the prices – which a number of metropolis commissioners say ought to be a shared duty, because the airport’s contracts with town for firefighting companies – prompted the commissioners to say to workers that they wished to contemplate terminating the settlement.

Two accidents in November and December involving the identical fireplace truck belonging to the airport resulted within the spillage of froth containing PFAS on the airport property, producing greater than $ 40,000 in clean-up prices. PFAS are a bunch of chemical substances which might be hazardous however broadly utilized in fireplace extinguishing foams and different industrial functions which were linked to dangerous results on human well being. The primary accident was a coaching error by a firefighter, in response to Traverse Metropolis Fireplace Division chief Jim Tuller, however the second incident was attributed to a mechanical failure of the airport truck attributable to a poor upkeep. At their March 1 assembly, metropolis commissioners requested metropolis legal professional Lauren Trible-Laucht to research the airport contract to find out if the airport may take any duty for the prices, noting that TCFD solely used PFAS foam – in danger to its personal firefighters – attributable to federal rules. requiring its use in airports. These necessities are anticipated to be lifted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in October. Tuller additionally mentioned he didn’t imagine the TCFD was answerable for the second incident.

Trible-Laucht reviewed the airport contract and decided that town was answerable for the cleanup prices below the wording of the settlement. Metropolis supervisor Marty Colburn mentioned he nonetheless requested the airport to contribute, however administration refused. “I mentioned the incident extensively with airport supervisor Kevin Klein and requested the airport to cowl as much as 50% of the fee,” Colburn wrote to the commissioners. “Mr. Klein mentioned he was unwilling to pay the fee and believed it was town’s duty because the contractor for the deal.”

Commissioners agreed to pay the payments on Monday, citing Trible-Laucht’s opinion and their need to not financially bypass the contractors who carried out the clean-up work. However the council mentioned it was sad with the end result, Commissioner Christie Minervini saying she was “dissatisfied” that the airport was unwilling to work with town as a accomplice. The Commissioners requested workers to report again to them at their April 5 assembly. analyze the professionals and cons of the airport deal, with a number of commissioners saying they need to both renegotiate the phrases of the contract to raised share the duty between town or the airport, or give the airport the required 90 minutes discover days indicating that town was leaving the settlement This could pressure Cherry Capital Airport to search out one other entity to contract with to offer firefighting companies on the airport. Metropolis workers agreed to organize a report and to report it to the commissioners for dialogue subsequent month.

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