The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) announced today a $4 million grant program available to municipal airport operators to support ongoing monitoring and testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will oversee the grant program.

Eligible applicants are current or former Part 139 commercial service airports in Michigan that have used or are suspected to have used Class B Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. Federal, state and military aviation facilities are not eligible for the grant funding, although co-located municipal airport operations can apply.

Grant applications are due May 29. Grant recipients will be announced in July and range from $50,000 to $250,000.

Priority will be given to airports that demonstrate:

— Known or suspected impacts to sensitive receptors such as residential wells.

— Known or suspected impacts to lakes, streams and wetlands, especially waterbodies used for drinking water.

— Releases known to be above Michigan’s groundwater cleanup criteria.

— Detailed documentation of historic uses of AFFF.

— Hydrogeological risk factors such as groundwater flow direction.

— Continued overall compliance with environmental regulations.

A request for proposals (RFP) detailing the grant program can be found at Michigan.gov/Aero. EGLE will host a webinar about the program at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Apr. 28. Register for the webinar.

For additional questions about the application process or general grant process questions, contact Steve Houtteman, MDOT Aeronautics, at HouttemanS@michigan.gov.

PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals that have been used in many consumer and industrial products, such as non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics and firefighting foam.