£16.5M to clean PFOS contaminated soil at Guernsey Airport

Friday, 1 May 2026 08:45

Guernsey's States will be told the containment 'bund' is beginning to fail and the removal project needs to go ahead.

The bund, or carefully engineered containment bank for the PFOS contaminated soil, was built opposite the main car park in 2012 when the runway was resurfaced

The 15,000 tonnes earth came from airport fire fighting training and the site of a nearby cargo plane crash.

It is stored away from any water catchments but still presents a pollution risk.

PFOS is known as a 'forever chemical' because it does not break down in the environment.

STSB president deputy Mark Helyar says a report shows the membrane that keeps the contaminates from the ground is reaching the end of its life:

"The containment of this soil has been effective in preventing this historic pollution from entering the environment.

"However it was only ever a temporary answer, to allow time for permanent solutions to be explored.

"We have been through a thorough evaluation of all currently available options, and identified the most appropriate solution.

"We now need to progress that, given the evidence that the membrane containing the soil has reached its end-of-life and is beginning to fail.’

The plan is to remove the soil and ship it to the UK where it will be stripped of chemicals, including PFOS, and the hazardous remains burnt, while the remainder can be reused.

The project was forecast to cost millions less and begin this year, but the States Trading Supervisory Board says subject to the Assembly's approval, the project can begin next spring.