NCHRP Synthesis Topic 54-01 Survey
Start of Block: Introduction
NCHRP SYNTHESIS TOPIC 54-01 PRACTICES TO IDENTIFY AND MITIGATE PFAS IMPACTS ON HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
Dear Department of Transportation (DOT) Environmental Compliance Professional,
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is preparing a synthesis on practices to identify and mitigate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) impacts on highway construction projects and maintenance operations via Project 20-05 administered by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). This is being done under the sponsorship of AASHTO in cooperation with FHWA.
This survey of state DOTs is a primary means of gathering information for the synthesis on practices to identify and mitigate PFAS impacts. Typically, DOT staff within an environmental compliance office would be the appropriate person to fill out this survey since it asks detailed questions about PFAS-related policies and procedures. If you are not the appropriate person to complete this survey, please forward it to the correct person at your agency. We would greatly appreciate a response from your agency. The survey is being sent to each state DOT. Note that DOT survey responses will be shown in the published synthesis report. However, the identity of survey respondents will remain anonymous.
Please complete and submit this survey by Friday, February 24th, 2023. We estimate that it should take no more than 45 minutes to complete the survey. If your DOT does not have many PFAS-related policies, procedures, or guidance, your survey will be completed more quickly. If your agency does not have any policies or procedures related to PFAS, please identify yourself in the demographic section and complete the few survey questions to document your agency’s status concerning PFAS-related policies and procedures, then submit your response. The survey is designed so you can exit and return to it if you need to complete your responses over several time intervals and/or days.
Thank you very much for your time and expertise!
End of Block: Introduction
Start of Block: Definitions
Definitions
The following definitions are intended to provide clarity around the terminology used to refer to PFAS:
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances): A class of at least 6,000 manmade chemicals whose structures contain carbon bonded to fluorine. Precise definitions vary, but practically encompass all compounds that contain multiple carbon–fluorine bonds and are used for their film-forming or water-, oil-, or grease-repellent properties, and their chemical precursors.
PFCs (perfluorocarbons): Colorless, odorless gases containing only fluorine and carbon. Occasionally this term is mistakenly applied to PFAS.
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid): The eight-carbon (or “C8”) perfluorinated alkyl carboxylic acid. This is a single member of the PFAS class. Due to the ubiquity of PFOA, it is sometimes mistaken for the entire PFAS class.
PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate): The eight-carbon (or “C8”) perfluorinated alkyl sulfonate. This is a single member of the PFAS class. Due to the similarity of their names and ubiquity of PFOS, it is sometimes mistaken for the entire PFAS class.
Total PFAS: Methods such as total organic fluorine (TOF) analysis or total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay can quantify in aggregate nearly all PFAS in a sample, but do not differentiate individual chemical species.
End of Block: Definitions
Start of Block: Demographics
D1. Name:
D2. Title:
D3. E-mail:
D4. Phone Number:
D5. Please select your state department of transportation (DOT) from the drop-down list.
Alabama (1)
Alaska (2)
Arizona (3)
Arkansas (4)
California (5)
Colorado (6)
Connecticut (7)
Delaware (8)
District of Columbia (9)
Florida (10)
Georgia (11)
Hawaii (12)
Idaho (13)
Illinois (14)
Indiana (15)
Iowa (16)
Kansas (17)
Kentucky (18)
Louisiana (19)
Maine (20)
Maryland (21)
Massachusetts (22)
Michigan (23)
Minnesota (24)
Mississippi (25)
Missouri (26)
Montana (27)
Nebraska (28)
Nevada (29)
New Hampshire (30)
New Jersey (31)
New Mexico (32)
New York (33)
North Carolina (34)
North Dakota (35)
Ohio (36)
Oklahoma (37)
Oregon (38)
Pennsylvania (39)
Puerto Rico (40)
Rhode Island (41)
South Carolina (42)
South Dakota (43)
Tennessee (44)
Texas (45)
Utah (46)
Vermont (47)
Virginia (48)
Washington (49)
West Virginia (50)
Wisconsin (51)
Wyoming (52)
D6. What division do you work for within your agency? Select the most appropriate response.
Highway Design (1)
Environmental (2)
Permitting (3)
Construction (4)
Right-of-Way (5)
Maintenance/Operations (6)
Other (7) __________________________________________________
End of Block: Demographics
Start of Block: PFAS Policies and Procedures
Q10 PFAS Policies and Procedures
Q11 Does your state (within an agency other than the DOT) have formal or informal procedures, policies, or guidance for identifying and/or mitigating locations of potential PFAS contamination?
Yes, formal written procedures, policies, or guidance (Please attach or provide a link.) (1)
Yes, informal procedures, policies, or guidance (2)
No (3)
Unsure (4)
Display This Question:
If Q11 = Yes, formal written procedures, policies, or guidance (Please attach or provide a link.)
Or Q11 = Yes, informal procedures, policies, or guidance
Or Q14 = Yes, formal written procedures, policies, or guidance (Please attach or provide a link.)
Or Q14 = Yes, informal procedures, policies, or guidance
Q12 Upload written procedures, policies, or guidance here:
Display This Question:
If Q11 = Yes, formal written procedures, policies, or guidance (Please attach or provide a link.)
Or Q11 = Yes, informal procedures, policies, or guidance
Or Q14 = Yes, formal written procedures, policies, or guidance (Please attach or provide a link.)
Or Q14 = Yes, informal procedures, policies, or guidance
Q13 Provide a link(s) to written procedures, policies, or guidance here:
Q14 Does your DOT currently have formal or informal procedures, policies, or guidance for identifying and/or mitigating locations of potential PFAS contamination?
Yes, formal written procedures, policies, or guidance (Please attach or provide a link.) (1)
Yes, informal procedures, policies, or guidance (2)
No (3)
Q15 Has your agency ever knowingly encountered PFAS contamination on any project or existing right-of-way?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q15 = Yes
Q16 Did that project/instance set a precedent for how to proceed with construction or maintenance?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Q17 Does your state have an action plan in place regarding PFAS contamination?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q17 = Yes
Q18 Is/was your DOT involved in the development of that action plan?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Q19 Does your state have an interagency group to address minimizing human exposure to PFAS?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q19 = Yes
Q19a Is/was your DOT involved in that group?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q14 != No
Q20 Do your DOT’s procedures recommend or require any of the following methodologies for identifying and mitigating PFAS impacts related to highway construction and maintenance operations?
| Yes (1) | No (2) | |
| Site screening (site inspection for potential PFAS contamination) (1) | |
|
| Sampling of soils or water for PFAS contamination (2) | |
|
| Geospatial tracking (GIS database of PFAS sources or contaminated sites) (3) | |
|
| New and existing approved products list (to limit use of PFAS-containing materials) (4) | |
|
| Pollutant source assessments (evaluation of nearby PFAS sources and potential PFAS migration) (5) | |
|
| Regulatory restrictions to mitigate/limit PFAS use or contamination (6) | |
|
| Other (7) | |
|
Display This Question:
If Q14 != No
Q21 Do your DOT’s procedures require special considerations for management and/or disposal of PFAS-contaminated soil or water from construction/maintenance projects?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Q22 Are there PFAS-related regulatory or receiving restrictions on any forms of material disposal for your DOT or their contractors?
| Yes (1) | No (2) | |
| Environmental discharge (e.g., to surface or groundwater) (1) | |
|
| Land application (e.g., to agricultural land) (2) | |
|
| Landfilling (3) | |
|
| Other (4) | |
|
Q23 Does your DOT consider liability for PFAS-related impacts in the acquisition, sale, maintenance, or disturbance of rights-of-way or project sites?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Q24 Does your DOT consider liability for PFAS-related impacts in the acquisition, use, or storage of materials?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Q25 Does your DOT consider active remediation or removal of PFAS-containing materials or media at DOT construction, maintenance, or storage sites?
Yes (1)
No (2)
End of Block: PFAS Policies and Procedures
Start of Block: Block 4
Q26 Construction and Maintenance Site Sampling
Q27 Does your DOT test or chemically monitor for PFAS contamination at any time on construction or maintenance project sites?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q27 = Yes
Q28 Which environmental media has your DOT screened for PFAS during construction or maintenance projects?
| Yes (1) | No (2) | |
| Intact soil (native or fill) (1) | |
|
| Spoil piles (2) | |
|
| Waste soil (3) | |
|
| Dewatered groundwater (4) | |
|
| Stormwater runoff during project (5) | |
|
| Stormwater conveyance after project (6) | |
|
| Other (7) | |
|
Display This Question:
If Q27 = Yes
Q29 When does your DOT monitor and how frequently (check all that apply)?
Before project award/baseline assessment (1)
During project: Daily to weekly (2)
During project: Less often than monthly (3)
During project: Biweekly to monthly (4)
After project completion (5)
End of Block: Block 4
Start of Block: Sample Evaluation
Q30 Sample Evaluation (Questions will not display if your DOT does not test for PFAS)
Display This Question:
If Q27 = Yes
Q31 What laboratory(s) do you use to conduct PFAS testing/measurements (check all that apply)?
In-house (DOT) labs (1)
Private/contract labs (2)
Public/state labs (3)
Other (4) __________________________________________________
Display This Question:
If Q27 = Yes
Q32 What are your DOT’s approximate costs associated with testing for PFAS contamination?
High (>$500 per sample) (1)
Medium ($200 to $500 per sample) (2)
Low (3)
Display This Question:
If Q27 = Yes
Q33 How quickly does your DOT typically receive PFAS testing results?
Within 1 week of shipping sample (1)
Within 3 weeks of shipping sample (2)
Within 6 weeks of shipping sample (3)
>6 weeks after shipping sample (4)
Display This Question:
If Q27 = Yes
Q34 How do the PFAS your DOT test for compare to state regulations?
My state does not regulate any PFAS, but we test for some (1)
We only test for those PFAS regulated by the state (2)
We test for more PFAS than are regulated by the state (3)
Unsure (4)
Display This Question:
If Q27 = Yes
Q35 Which PFAS does your DOT monitor?
| Yes (1) | No (2) | |
| PFOS and/or PFOA only (1) | |
|
| The 18 species in EPA Method 537.1 for potable water (2) | |
|
| The 25 species in EPA Method 533 for potable water (3) | |
|
| The 24 species in EPA Method 8327 for nonpotable water and other environmental media (4) | |
|
| The 40 species in Draft EPA Method 1633 for nonpotable water and other environmental media (5) | |
|
| Total PFAS (e.g., total organic fluorine or total oxidizable precursors) (6) | |
|
| Other (7) | |
|
| Unsure (8) | |
|
End of Block: Sample Evaluation
Start of Block: Block 6
Q36 PFAS-Containing Materials
Q37 Does your DOT have a procedure for identifying PFAS-containing materials?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Q38 Does your DOT have a procedure for identifying containers which may have previously held PFAS-containing materials?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q37 = Yes
Or Q38 = Yes
Q39 Does your DOT have a standard labeling protocol for materials or containers which may contain PFAS?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q37 = Yes
Or Q38 = Yes
Q40 Has your DOT identified materials/containers containing PFAS which it previously or actively uses?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q40 = Yes
Q41 Are areas where these materials were used now monitored?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Q42 Does your DOT use or store any Class B or MilSpec firefighting foams (for example, at airports)?
Yes (1)
No (2)
Display This Question:
If Q42 = Yes
Q43 Are they labeled for PFAS content (select all that apply)?
Yes, firefighting foams known to contain PFAS are labeled as such (1)
Yes, firefighting foams known to be PFAS-free are labeled as such (2)
Labeling of firefighting foams is inconsistent (3)
No firefighting foam labeling regarding PFAS content (4)
End of Block: Block 6
Start of Block: Block 7
Q44 Follow-up
Q45 Are you willing to participate in a follow-up phone interview to gain additional insight into your DOTs PFAS-related practice for a case example in the final report? Your DOT will be identified but interviewee names will remain anonymous.
Yes (1)
No (2)
End of Block: Block 7
