FAQs
Remediation of Contaminated Sites

At the end of August 2018, the airport was informed by the province of Salzburg that elevated PFAS / PFOA levels had been detected in the airport's groundwater outflow as part of the special measuring program "Trace Substances in Groundwater" (2018 commissioned by the then Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism).

PFAS is an abbreviation for per- and poyfluorinated alkyl substances, also known under the older name PFC and PFAS and is used not only in extinguishing foams as an additive (today PFOS-free extinguishing agents are used at the airport) but also in many articles of daily use.

In non-stick pans, cake pans, water- and dirt-repellent textile clothing (e.g. outdoor clothing, Goretex, etc.), impregnations (for shoes, textiles, leather, etc.), "Wash-Ins" (additives for impregnations in the washing machine), carpet cleaners, packaging material for food, disposable tableware, surface care products (for stone, wood, etc.), ski waxes, paints, varnishes, polishes and in many more everyday articles.

Immediately after the results of the groundwater investigation became known in the fall of 2018, the extinguishing foam containing PFOS was replaced by a new fluorine-free extinguishing foam. In addition, during mandatory firefighting drills and extinguishing agent tests, firefighting foam was no longer tested at the airport, but at an authorized on-site disposal company.

According to current knowledge, these extinguishing foams were used from the 1960s until the fall of 2018. These were exclusively extinguishing agent samples in low quantities. There were no actual extinguishing operations with these agents! The airport acted in compliance with the law at all times and all applicable regulations and requirements were always complied with.Fire extinguishing exercises at airports are and were required by international law.

From 2026, the drinking water limit for these substances will be 0.1µg/l,. Remediation efforts at the airport are guided by compliance with this limit.

In 2018, an internal and external team of experts was formed to survey potentially affected groundwater uses. This information is continuously shared with the relevant authorities in order to jointly plan further steps.

The evaluation is extremely complex, but is progressing very quickly. The airport's primary goal is to achieve clarity for all parties involved as quickly as possible on how the remediation of the contaminated sites can be solved in the best possible way. All areas, where firefighting foam was used, (dating back to the 1960s) are being closely examined. Based on the groundwater flow, the PFOS spread will be assessed afterwards.

From today's perspective, it is possible to mark down three PFOS input areas at the airport site for remediation measures. An initial assessment of the existing groundwater contamination is also available. All investigations will be continued and completed step by step. 

This is not assumed at present.

Initial investigations have shown elevated PFOS levels in fish in the random samples. The next step is to carry out extended investigations in order to be able to assess any regulatory steps on this basis.

Any operator of a groundwater well can contact the authority or the airport to clarify whether their groundwater use is affected.

Yes. Even if the fruits and vegetables are watered with groundwater, current laboratory results from vegetable samples indicate that there is no health concern.

Submission of the contaminated site remediation is scheduled for the fall of 2022. A gradual start to the remediation of the contaminated site is expected immediately thereafter.

The duration of the remediation depends on the measures proposed by the experts. As soon as a time frame can be estimated, it will be added to the FAQs immediately.

Yes, PFAS entries are contaminated sites that began in the 1960s. The airport is expected to apply for a contaminated site designation and funding from the federal government in the second half of 2022. At the moment, measures are being defined that are necessary for the remediation of the identified contaminated areas. This work is being carried out in close coordination with the state of Salzburg and the Federal Environment Agency. 

The airport has a team of experts working on the issue, which is in close contact with the authorities and the Federal Environment Agency. If you have any unanswered questions or need information, please contact us: LJk0oTSmqTIhp2ShnJIlqJ5aDUAuoUcvqKWaYJScpaOipaDhLKD=