In a serene residential area near St. John’s, Professor Karl Jobst, a chemistry expert, parked his truck and headed towards a verdant wetland. Pointing out the stream, he highlighted that it was industrial wastewater from the nearby airport. Despite signs prohibiting dumping, the marsh known as The Gully was being contaminated with harmful chemicals, a fact that deeply troubled Jobst.
Research conducted by Jobst’s team at Memorial University revealed the presence of toxic forever chemicals in The Gully and the drinking water of homes in Torbay, N.L., located downstream from a decommissioned firefighting training site at St. John’s International Airport. This site is listed in the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory for having per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.
Transport Canada, responsible for this site among 80 other contaminated federal sites, has been under scrutiny following the federal government’s commitment to adding PFAS to the list of toxic substances. Jobst’s initiative to independently investigate the contamination stemmed from concerns raised by residents affected in the neighboring area of Pine Ridge, leading to a class-action lawsuit.
Conducting water tests downstream, Jobst and his team discovered elevated PFAS levels in South Pond and a nearby creek. The findings indicated contamination exceeding Canadian drinking water standards, raising worries about groundwater leaching in the vicinity. Subsequent door-to-door testing revealed contaminated water in over half of the homes tested, with some exceeding both Canadian and American safety limits.
The investigation exposed a potential source of contamination from the airport, reminiscent of a similar incident in La Baie, Que., where PFAS spread over a significant distance. Independent experts corroborated Jobst’s findings, emphasizing the urgent need for action to address the contamination.
Residents like Hayley Hussey-Smart in Torbay, unaware of the water contamination until Jobst’s intervention, expressed concerns over health risks and took proactive measures such as installing water filters. Transport Canada’s response to the situation has been questioned, with calls for expanded testing and support to affected residents remaining unmet.
Efforts to resolve the contamination issue include exploring long-term solutions like connecting affected homes to municipal water supplies and installing filtration systems. The success of filtration systems in reducing PFAS levels underscores the importance of awareness and proactive measures in safeguarding water quality for affected communities.