239-4 Leveraging PFAS RI Results for a Comprehensive Remedial Approach

Session: Federal PFAS Remediation: Successes and Challenges

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The Department of Defense (DoD) has been in the process of identifying and addressing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) for almost a decade. Installations across the country are working through the multi-phase cleanup process established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); however, the shifting PFAS regulatory environment has made progressing through the CERCLA process difficult. Revised screening levels, changes to the regulated PFAS compound list, and new information about potential releases and source zones have all contributed to headwinds for CERCLA PFAS investigations. These factors have led to repetitive cycles, or “do loops”, between CERCLA work phases including Preliminary Assessment, Site Inspection, Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study. Although these challenges create obstacles and hamper our ability to complete investigations and feasibility studies, we have the data now to make informed remedial decisions.

The DoD’s response to addressing PFAS has resulted in comprehensive sampling programs and robust PFAS datasets. These existing datasets can be leveraged to understand risk and support confident remedial decisions now despite an evolving regulatory landscape. AECOM has supported the DoD’s response to PFAS, collecting samples at a number of facilities for various branches of the DoD across the country. This presentation will showcase tends and key insights from AECOM’s DoD PFAS dataset to inform remedial decision making and provide data-driven strategies to minimize CERCLA “do loops.” It will also discuss timing of remedial action and how these datasets can be utilized to support risk management through interim action. By leveraging our PFAS datasets, we can make inform decisions now, limiting risk and positioning for future success.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-11122

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