It is also understood that the cost of the project will be significantly higher than a seven-figure estimate published when it was first agreed in 2011 and revised assumptions used internally since then.
The States Trading Supervisory Board invited formal bids 12 months ago and anticipated signing a deal last year for the removal and export of about 16,000 tonnes of the dangerous chemical PFOS which is stored in a bund near the entrance to the airport. Contracts are still to be awarded, although the board still hopes to carry out the work during 2026.
‘Last year, the board invited tenders from companies to excavate, export and treat the contaminated soil contained within the raised bund outside Guernsey Airport.
‘This process will remove and destroy the chemicals and dispose of any residual pollution,’ said STSB president Mark Helyar.
‘The tender submissions received have been evaluated and a contract is expected to be awarded on completion of a full business case. Storage of the soil within the bund remains subject to a waste management licence, pending a permanent solution.’
Deputy Helyar and his board declined to provide further details about the current status of the project in response to various questions about the tender process, timeline and budget.
The Policy & Resources Committee is involved in reviewing business cases. It can provide final approval itself on any project with an estimated cost up to £5m., but more expensive schemes must be referred to the States Assembly.
Some 13,000 tonnes of material containing PFOS, which was once used in firefighting foam, have been stored at the airport since 2012. Approximately 3,000 tonnes of similarly contaminated material was added in 2015.
In 2023, the board started the process of recruiting specialist contractors to deal with the contaminated soil, which was excavated from around the airport and the site of a fatal aircraft accident along Forest Road, but the process was paused when P&R ordered a re-evaluation of all States capital projects.
The contaminated soil, currently located in a grass mound next to the airport’s main car park, will eventually be transported to a UK or European port and then to a specialist facility for treatment and final disposal.