Dozens of areas in Bavaria are contaminated with toxic chemicals. These are so-called per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS). The majority is due to toxic residues from firefighting foam, including at the US military airfield Katterbach Airfield near Ansbach in Middle Franconia. PFAS contamination was detected there as early as 2014.
The cleanup of the contaminated groundwater and soil began on Wednesday. The US Army is having an extensive groundwater filtering system built at the west end of the airfield. This includes, among other things, nine production wells, pump shafts and measuring points as well as around 700 meters of pipeline. The system is intended to prevent contaminated groundwater from penetrating to the outside and at the same time the water is to be purified. The system is scheduled to be ready for use in October of this year, and up to 135 cubic meters of water will flow through it every day, a spokeswoman for the US Army said.
There are numerous cases like this in Bavaria. In a 2022 report, the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment counted more than 30 PFAS cases with contaminated sites in the Free State, as well as 24 cases with an unknown source and almost 60 suspected cases. Most of the areas contaminated with PFAS are in Upper Bavaria.
As in Katterbach, the majority of cases can be traced back to chemicals from firefighting foam. The facility is expected to remain in operation at the US military air base for several years. How effectively it works and how much water can ultimately be pumped through per day will only become clear once operations begin, said environmental engineer Stephan Haas from the US Army Environmental Protection Agency. Those involved also want to use measuring stations to keep a close eye on the progress in the remediation of contaminated sites.
In a further step, parts of the affected soil will also be removed later. According to the information, the costs for construction and operation of the facility in the first year for the US Army amount to around 1.8 million euros. In the following years, 260,000 euros should be incurred. Around 600,000 euros went into the planning.
The renovation was preceded by lengthy planning and pressure from the city of Ansbach and a local citizens’ initiative. According to the city, the preparation of a report on the exact damage at the former US Army firefighting training area took years because the US Army missed several deadlines. A report has been available since July 2023, and the order to build the facility finally followed in September last year.
In response to criticism of the long time it took to begin the renovation, an army spokeswoman said on Wednesday that such measures were not decided on site in the US Army, but through a central administration in the USA. There were many projects competing for financing. The renovation at the Katterbach site alone would not have been able to be carried out on the current scale with the army’s budget alone. At the same time, she pointed out that this was just a further step in repairing the damage at the military airfield. The soil at the source of the damage also needs to be rehabilitated. It is possible to install additional systems for groundwater purification.
A citizens’ initiative has long complained about the damage caused to pond farmers and farmers in the region by exposure to the chemicals. At the same time, it calls for comprehensive removal of the contaminated soil.