Contaminated soil at Guernsey Airport to be removed

The soil will be sealed inside the mound to stop the contaminates leaking out

Contaminated soil at Guernsey Airport will be removed as part of work to upgrade the airfield during the first of four planned two-day closures.

Tuesday and Wednesday will be the first days when the airport will close to allow the £80m project to progress.

A total of more than 7,000 cubic metres of soil contaminated by the use of fire fighting foam will be excavated.

It will be sealed inside a container so it can no longer leach into the soil and placed inside a mound of earth.

Earth from the mound, a "bund" or raised bank just outside the airport entrance, will replace the contaminated soil.

The chemical known as PFOS, which was formerly used in firefighting foam, got into the soil after a fire truck overturned on the runway in 2002.

The work is due to be completed during the second two day closure on 8-9 May.

Airport authorities said they would take advantage of the closure to carry out routine maintenance and other work as well as fire training.

Other than Christmas Day, it is the first time the airport has been scheduled to close since 1974, the last time the airport's runway was resurfaced.

The other closure dates are 27-28 November, and 4-5 December.