PFAS at airport: Tasmanian Government commits to working with Australian counterparts

The state government initiated an action plan for per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, as part of a national directive for potentially affected sites.

PFAS was used in firefighting foam on airport and defence sites by Airservices Australia until 2010.

Airservices Australia was engaged by the federal government to review sites affected by PFAS because it could accumulate in animals and people.

A government spokeswoman said while there was an action plan in place for Tasmania, there was no commitment to amending the plan in light of recent results.

"The Tasmanian PFAS action plan focuses on investigating and managing potential sources of PFAS contamination," the spokeswoman said.

"Where PFAS contamination is related to Commonwealth controlled land, the government will continue to work with the Australian Government to determine the most appropriate response for each site."

PFAS was found at higher levels in the groundwater at Launceston airport, prompting Airservices Australia to order a more detailed review of the site.

Launceston and Hobart airports were the only two Tasmanian sites being tested in the review, with Hobart's PFAS levels recorded as low, when its report was released last year.

Levels were recorded as being low in the soil and sediment at Launceston, according to the report released last week.

The government spokeswoman said the government commended the work done by Airservices Australia.

"The results are not surprising given the extent of the problem associated with airports and defence for training areas in other states," the spokeswoman said.

Tasmania is a signatory to the national response to PFAS contamination and as such developed the action plan and works collaboratively with its mainland counterparts.