Transport Canada has agreed to study the downstream risk from old firefighting pollution found leaching from Hamilton’s airport more than three years ago.

Geoff Knapper, the local director for the provincial ministry of environment, announced the pending federal study Friday morning at a city subcommittee.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a chemical once used in fire suppression foam, has been found in large amounts at the Mount Hope airport as well as dozens of kilometres downstream in the Binbrook reservoir and beyond in the Welland River.

The city has been pursuing the federal government for cash – up to $3 million – to help clean up the historic pollution, which largely happened when the airport was federally owned decades ago.

A local risk assessment and cleanup plan for the actual airport is still mired in wrangling between provincial authorities and the city’s private airport operator, however.

A draft of that plan, submitted 14 months ago, has not been made public by either the MOE, Tradeport or the city.

More to come.

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