Guernsey PFOS contaminated soil 'needs solution'

The soil was buried in a bund built near the entrance to Guernsey Airport

Contaminated soil buried near Guernsey Airport will have to be moved within 20 years, the director of Environmental Health in the island has said.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was previously used by the airport fire service.

It got into soil at the airport in 2002 when a fire truck overturned. In 2012 the soil was dug out and placed in a sealed bund to stop leakage.

Val Cameron said this was not a permanent solution.

She said the soil would be removed from the bund and transported for disposal.

The soil was removed during work to move the runway and extend safety areas

"We are talking about 15,000 cubic metres of soil, so it's not going to be an easy job. It will be a logistical problem, there is not doubt," said Mrs Cameron.

She said this would have to happen within 10 to 20 years.

The soil was placed in the bund near the entrance to the airport during a £80m refurbishment of the airfield.

A field which was contaminated when a plane crashed in 1999 is due to be dug out with the soil placed in another bund elsewhere on the airport site.