Board Approves Lifting of Deed Restriction in Exchange for PFAS Remediation Funds

February 07, 2025
County Board Chair Patrick Miles, (608) 886-9167
County Board

Agreement Allows Raemish Farms Housing Project to Move Forward

 

On Feb. 6, 2025, the Dane County Board passed 2024-RES-246, which paves the way for a land sale near the Dane County Airport for future housing. The Board added the provision that funds resulting from the release of the deed restriction shall be used for PFAS remediation.

 

“This was a circumstance of competing priorities where we need more housing and need to keep future residents safe," said County Board Chair Patrick Miles (Dist. 34). "The Board’s action addresses both by making way for the housing development while investing the funds to remediate PFAS pollution.”

 

“Ending the use of PFAS foam at the airport has been a priority for many of us on the Board, and we are pleased that the County has fully transitioned away from PFAS in firefighting foam,” said Supervisor Yogesh Chawla (Dist. 6). “Although we still have many unanswered questions about existing PFAS pollution and remediation, it is a huge win for the people of Dane County that this hazardous chemical is no longer in use at our airport.”

 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals found in products, including firefighting foam, that can leak into the soil and water, leading to serious health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues, and cancer.

 

Truax Field Air National Guard Base and Dane County Regional Airport are contaminated sites due to their long-time use of PFAS firefighting foams in operations and training exercises. The PFAS washed into the nearby creek and seeped through the soil into the groundwater in the area, impacting a large part of Dane County. As part of the Airport Joint Use Agreement discussions, the County Board emphasized moving away from firefighting foam with PFAS and towards fluorine-free foam (F3). This PFAS-free foam was approved by the FAA.

 

As of October 2024, all firefighting apparatuses have been transitioned to F3. Future firefighting operations will be conducted using F3, eliminating future contamination of the airport with PFAS from fluorine foam. However, pervasive PFAS pollution remains, and researching effective PFAS remediation continues to be a challenge.