Dublin Airport warns 'forever chemicals' in soil on its lands could impact MetroLink project

The Daa said it was building an apron in 2023 when the first evidence of contamination was discovered.

Dublin Airport warned Government officials and regulators that Ireland had no sustainable system for dealing with soil contaminated by so-called “forever chemicals” linked to firefighting foam.

Internal records detail how the airport's operator Daa said even extremely low levels of contamination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) meant excavated soil would have to be exported abroad because no Irish facility could handle it.

The concerns were raised in discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Environment, and Fingal County Council as fears rose over the impact of forever chemicals on the MetroLink project.

The Daa said it was building an apron in 2023 when the first evidence of contamination was discovered.

A presentation said gaps in Irish legislation meant the presence of any level of PFAS, no matter how minuscule, had to be categorised as “requiring mitigation”. It said there were no frameworks or systems in place for how to deal with forever chemicals, apart from export.

The presentation said: “Given the lack of capacity in Ireland to deal with the volume of soil movement involved with this, we arranged to have it removed and treated in overseas facilities, in full compliance with all applicable regulations.” 

On one underpass project, the Daa said it was more economical to simply categorise 150 tonnes of material as contaminated than it was to have it tested.

It said even in cases of “marginal detection”, soil had to be carefully managed, a situation they said was “not sustainable”. The presentation said the Daa, as “first mover”, was being held to a different standard by the waste industry.

It said: “We are making decisions without guidance [or] legislation [and] working in a vacuum.” 

All soil deemed contaminated had to be exported to international facilities that were already struggling with capacity, while new technologies for dealing with PFAS were not yet proven.

The presentation concluded: “This is not just a Dublin Airport issue; this is a national issue. It requires a joined-up approach.” 

The presence of PFAS on Daa lands has become an issue for the MetroLink project, which will pass under the airport’s lands.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has said more than 300,000 cubic metres of soil may need to be dug up and shipped abroad.

PFAS has been detected at several sites at Dublin Airport, including at a former firefighting training ground near the north runway.

Asked about the records, a Daa spokesman said a system of monitoring and reporting on forever chemicals was in place at Dublin Airport, which went beyond regulatory requirements.

He said: “PFAS is not unique to airports and can be present in a range of environments and land uses. Infrastructure projects such as MetroLink will pass through different types of land where similar considerations may arise.

“In relation to MetroLink, Daa continues to engage constructively with the relevant authorities.

“The assessment, handling and disposal of soil, including any material containing PFAS, will be managed as part of that project in accordance with planning, environmental and waste management requirements.”