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Agencies Use Drones To Research Toxic Chemicals

Drone flying.
WAMC photo by Dave Lucas
File photo of an airborne drone

Vermont agencies are using aerial drones to study toxic chemical contamination underneath an airport.
The Agency of Transportation Rail and Aviation Bureau and the Vermont Geological Survey spent the last week of October using a drone to gather data for a map about what is underneath the rocks below the Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport.

The Rutland Herald reports the contamination of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively called PFAS, was found near the airport in 2018 and is believed to be from firefighting foam.

Geologists say probes are also being used to study groundwater beneath the facility by drilling into wells and dropping probes into them.

Vermont has since determined a limit of 20 parts per trillion on certain types of the toxic chemicals.

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