Innovative remediation project recognized by Airports Council International – North America

DANE COUNTY — Dane County Executive Melissa Agard today announced that Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) has been selected for a 2026 Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) Environmental Achievement Award for its innovative work to address PFAS contamination.

The airport’s PFAS Mitigation Pilot Project was selected as the winner in ACI-NA’s Mitigation Award category. In notifying the airport of the award, ACI-NA commended Dane County Regional Airport for its innovation and leadership in an area that could benefit airports across North America.

“This award is a testament to Dane County’s commitment to confronting difficult environmental challenges with innovation, collaboration and a willingness to lead,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard. “PFAS contamination is an issue facing communities across the country, and I am incredibly proud of the work our airport team and its partners are doing to develop solutions that could protect our natural resources and help inform efforts far beyond Dane County.”

PFAS contamination at the airport is associated with decades of historical of use of aqueous film-forming foam, which was mandated by the federal government for all airports. Dane County Regional Airport has worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Air National Guard, City of Madison, and VIYA Environmental to pursue an innovative approach aimed at reducing PFAS contamination within known source areas.

The effort began with a pilot project using Bioavailable Absorbent Media (BAM) in conjunction with site-specific microbes to degrade PFAS contaminants. Monitoring from that project showed an average 97 percent reduction in PFAS concentrations at a downgradient monitoring well. Based on those results, the airport invested approximately $1.5 million to expand the remediation effort at the former Darwin Road firefighting training site. At the site, BAM, nutrients, and an aerobic microbe blend were injected into the treatment area along with a system to generate oxygen in the treatment area. The one-year monitoring samples showed approximately 98 percent reductions in prominent PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, within the source area. An immediately downgradient monitoring well showed an 80 percent reduction in PFOA concentrations from baseline conditions. The airport has scheduled another round of testing this fall.

“PFAS is one of the most complex environmental challenges facing airports today, and there is no simple solution,” said Dane County Regional Airport Executive Director Mark Papko. “Our team chose to take a measured, data-driven approach, beginning with a pilot project and expanding our efforts as the results demonstrated success. This recognition from ACI-NA validates that work and, more importantly, highlights the potential for what we are learning here in Dane County to help other airports facing similar challenges.”

The airport’s phased approach allowed it to evaluate the technology and collect measurable data before making a larger investment. Because PFAS contamination associated with historical firefighting foam use affects airports and military airfields throughout North America, the results from Dane County could help inform future remediation efforts elsewhere in the aviation industry.

“This is exactly the kind of environmental leadership we want Dane County to be known for,” Agard said. “We are investing in solutions, measuring whether they work and sharing what we learn so others can benefit. Congratulations to the airport team and the many partners who helped make this work possible.”

The award was presented September 16 during the 2026 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia.