Study Shows Firefighting Foam Contamination In Issaquah

ISSAQUAH, WA — Public places and groundwater in Issaquah do show some contamination from harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals used in firefighting foam, but the public is at low risk of direct exposure, a new study has found.

Eastside Fire and Rescue, the state Department of Ecology, and the city of Issaquah last August hired a private company to test well water and soil at public places like Issaquah Valley Elementary and Veterans' Memorial Field, which were used by firefighters to train with PFAS foam.

The state does not have a threshold for PFAS contamination under the Model Toxic Control Act. The ecology department, however, does identify a level of contamination that exceeds standards called "investigatory levels." PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, low infant birth weight, and thyroid disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The public is not at risk of PFAS contamination through direct contact with soil in Issaquah, the study found. However, all tested sites do have PFAS contamination above investigatory levels for protection of groundwater in unsaturated soil. The study also found PFAS contamination above investigatory levels in groundwater on the west side of Issaquah valley.

City officials are still analyzing the results of the study. The city hopes to get $400,000 from the Legislature to continue the study of PFAS levels, and to design a plan to clean up the chemicals.

In April 2018, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law banning PFAS-based firefighting foams in the state. The state has also banned PFAS in food-contact surfaces.