Tests confirm fuel leak at Saipan airport

Soil samples taken from areas near Saipan International Airport disclosed fuel vapor contamination which warrants immediate implementation of extensive clean-up operations.

Private solid and hazardous waste management firm, Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting uncovered evidence of “subsurface” contamination following the comprehensive water and soil testing analysis.

APEC environmental scientist C. Thomas Polevich said cleanup operations can now be implemented as construction of special extraction wells begun to pull the contaminants to the surface.

He said APEC has to be careful not to make the problem worse since the project management is dealing with subsurface fuel vapor which, once introduce to water or air, might aggravate the contamination level.

“We need to do some more tests to be absolutely certain we’ve found what we are looking for, we are pretty sure that’s what it is and the reason for this cleanup,” the environmental scientist explained.

APEC and Honolulu-based Tetra Tech EM Inc. will prioritize the removal of any liquid product that will be located as drilling between the site of the fuel leak and the closest water wells continue.

Mr. Polevich added that despite initial result of possible soil contamination, APEC and Tetra Tech has to hold further testing to determine the nature of the contaminant.

However, continued water sampling and analysis of water wells near the airport remain to show negative result of jet fuel contamination.

But regardless of this, the Commonwealth Ports Authority and Mobil Oil Marianas will still collaboratively finance the investigation and the cleanup to ensure safety of water in Southern Saipan.

“The Division of Environmental Quality and Mobil Oil has been working closely with us and APEC to effectively deal with the situation and to resolve this most unfortunate situation,” CPA Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said.

The official further explained that comprehensive plans are carefully laid out and CPA will exhaust all efforts to address the problem.

CPA officials earlier disclosed that at least 14 water wells near the airport area had been inspected and three of these supply wells are continuously being monitored by APEC and the Tetra Tech.

Based on the submitted cleanup plan, APEC recommended to do soil boring to areas adjacent where the supposed leakage occurred, and detect possible soil and water contamination.

DEQ officials issued a Notice of Violation to CPA and Mobil Oil last month after reports of 6,000 gallons of jet fuel leakage incident at the airport. The agency tasked CPA and Mobil Oil to evaluate the extent of the contamination and to implement immediate cleanup plan.