HGL Awarded Two New PFAS-Related Task Orders

In early October 2019, HGL was awarded two multimillion-dollar task orders to support the Department of Defense (DoD) in improving its understanding of and ability to address issues pertaining to emerging contaminants: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS compounds are a complex family of more than 4,000 manufactured fluorinated organic chemicals that are present in diverse products such as fire-fighting foams, cookware, and fabric treatments. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are two of the large and complex class of anthropogenic compounds often collectively referred to as PFAS. The prevalence of PFAS compounds in the environment has become broadly recognized in the United States and abroad. The health advisory levels for PFOA and PFOS are orders-of-magnitude lower than regulatory levels for most other groundwater contaminants.

Under one of its new task orders, HGL will be conducting well surveys and potentially time-sensitive mitigation actions at DoD installations and surrounding residential areas across the United States. If PFAS-contaminated drinking water is detected in these areas, HGL will mitigate the contamination using various alternatives. HGL was also awarded a second complementary project to manage PFAS data analysis. This effort will help the professional environmental community develop a standardized approach for planning and executing PFAS data acquisition. A standardized approach will provide assurance to the regulatory community and site stakeholders that PFAS data are reliable for use in site investigation and remediation efforts.

These recent awards increase the breadth and depth of HGL’s PFAS capabilities, which include aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) replacement, Preliminary Assessments, Site Inspections, plume delineation and optimal sampling using PlumeSeeker™ technology, drinking water protection studies, risk analysis, and drinking water mitigation.