ʻO ka PFAS (per- a me ka polyfluoroalkyl substance) he mea ia o ka wai hoʻoheheʻe kiʻiʻoniʻoni (AFFF) i hoʻohana ʻia i ke ahi ahi ma nā mokulele. Pono ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka AFFF no ke ahi ahi ma airports ma muli o ke ʻano o ke ahi wahie mokulele.

Ke hana nei ka Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) i nā hana no ka hoʻoponopono ʻana i ka ʻāina i hoʻopilikia ʻia e PFAS ma kahi kokoke i ka Kahului Airport (OGG) Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Training Pit. ʻO nā ʻanuʻu a HDOT e hana nei, ʻo ia ka pā ʻana i ka wahi i hōʻike ʻia ai ka laʻana o ka lepo i ka PFAS a me ka waiho ʻana i kahi hoʻolālā hana hoʻoponopono manawaleʻa i ke Keʻena Ola Ola (HDOH).

ʻOiai ʻaʻole hoʻokuʻu hou ʻia ʻo AFFF i ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻana i ke ahi i kēia lā, ua hoʻohana ʻia ia i ke aʻo ʻana ma mua o 2021. Ua hoʻihoʻi hou ʻia nā kaʻa ARFF a puni ka mokuʻāina e kaupalena i ka hoʻohana ʻana o AFFF i ke ahi me ka wahie mokulele kokoke.

Ma muli o ka hoʻohana mōʻaukala, ua hoʻomaka ke Keʻena ʻOihana o Hawaii i ka laʻana o ka lepo no PFAS ma nā wahi ʻeono. ʻO kēia mau wahi: 1) ka OGG ARFF Training Pit, 2) ka mua ARFF Training Pit ma Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, 3) ka ARFF Training Pit ma Ellison Onizuka International Airport ma Keahole, 4 & 5) ka ARFF mua. Nā lua hoʻomaʻamaʻa ma ke kahua mokulele ʻo Hilo, a me 6) ka lua aʻo mua ARFF ma ke kahua mokulele ʻo Lihue. Ua ʻike ʻia ka laʻana o ka pūnaewele OGG i nā pūhui PFAS ma luna a i ʻole ma luna o nā pae hana kaiapuni o ka 'Oihana Ola no ka launa maʻamau me ka lepo i nā makahiki he nui.

Ua hoʻopilikia pū ʻia ka wai honua ma lalo o ka wahi aʻo ahi e nā PFAS.

ʻAʻole kumu wai inu ka wai o ka honua a ʻaʻole hoʻoweliweli i nā kumu wai inu ʻē aʻe ma ka mokupuni. Ke hoʻomau nei ka noiʻi hou ʻana no ka hoʻohaumia ʻana i ka wai.

E ʻoluʻolu e waiho i kahi manaʻo no kēiax

Aia paha he mau kaukani o PFAS i kēia manawa ma United States. He ʻokoʻa nā waiwai o kēlā me kēia kemika a hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia no nā kumu ʻokoʻa a i ʻole ke waiho wale ʻia e like me nā huahana i manaʻo ʻole ʻia o kekahi mau hana a i ʻole nā hana ʻē aʻe. ʻOkoʻa ka ʻona o nā kemika. E hoʻomau ka HDOT e hana pū me HDOH ma nā hana hoʻoponopono ma kēia pūnaewele.

Loaʻa ka ʻike hou aku e pili ana i nā PFAS ma health.hawaii.gov/heer/environmental-health/highlighted-projects/per-and-polyflouroalkl-sbstances-pfass or epa.gov/pfas.

Nā nūhou hou aʻe e pili ana i nā mokulele

He aha e lawe ʻia mai kēia ʻatikala:

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is taking steps to address PFAS impacted soil in the vicinity of the Kahului Airport (OGG) Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Training Pit.
The steps HDOT is taking include fencing off the area where soil sampling shows PFAS and submission of an interim remedial action plan to the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH).
The use of AFFF is necessary for firefighting at airports due to the nature of aircraft fuel fires.