The lawsuit filed in September 2023 by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sought to force the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority to clean up soil and groundwater contaminated with PFAS. Known as the “forever chemical,” it’s used in fire-fighting foam. At the airport, the foam is used in emergency training exercises.
Kent County Judge George Quist deemed that state and federal regulations put the airport in “an impossible situation” regarding compliance, adding that “even if compliance with the State is required, the Airport operates under a valid license from MDOT, which has indicated that the Airport is in full compliance with State rules and regulations.”
In a statement, Chief Asset Development Officer for the airport Casey Ries said, “Even without the liability under Michigan’s environmental cleanup law, for the past seven years, we have worked hard to understand and mitigate impacts of historical use of these federally-mandated products.”
Press Secretary for Nessel’s office Danny Wimmer stated, “At this time, the Michigan Department of Attorney General and EGLE are evaluating our options, including whether or not to appeal this decision.”
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