PFAS Site Investigation: Risk Assessment and Remediation at the Jervis Bay Navy base
At a glance
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) enlisted GHD to investigate and tackle PFAS contamination at the Jervis Bay Navy base and airfield. The extensive contamination stems from historical AFFF firefighting training, resulting in widespread PFAS migration through surface water, groundwater, and a sewer system across multiple catchments. GHD is tasked with developing effective remediation strategies to address this legacy pollution and protect both human health and the environment.
The challenge
GHD was engaged by the Australian Department of Defence to investigate and develop remediation options for PFAS contamination at their Jervis Bay Navy base and adjacent airfield site. With a long history of training ship-crews in firefighting with AFFF, the site has a legacy of PFAS contamination spread over a wide area and migration off through surface water, groundwater and a sewer through multiple catchments.
Our response
GHD completed a detailed site investigation involving the sampling of soil, water and sediment. This was followed by a human health risk assessment and a major biota sampling program constituting one of the largest contamination ecological risk assessments ever conducted in Australia. Remediation planning has commenced, and GHD has developed a range of options at concept stage which together constitute an holistic and practicable risk-based and sustainable remediation approach.
The impact
Throughout the project GHD has successfully led the community engagement activities which involve multiple sensitive stakeholders including an indigenous community. All technical outcomes for the project are made available to the public under Defence’s policy of public disclosure and community engagement on contamination issues, and can be found here