GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA), a leading multi-disciplinary firm providing environmental, ecological, water, geotechnical, and construction management services, has been retained by Barnstable County, Massachusetts, to provide a comprehensive suite of PFAS assessment and remediation services at the former Municipal Fire Training facility in Hyannis. GZA was selected by the County following a competitive bidding process.
The roughly six-acre site, located off South Flint Rock Road in the Town of Barnstable’s village of Hyannis, was used by first responders throughout Cape Cod and eastern Massachusetts for essential training between 1956 and 2019. For about 40 years, this training included the use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), which contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brought by site users to the facility. AFFF training at the site ended in 2013.
GZA is completing a comprehensive Phase II Site Assessment at the facility location to assess the nature and extent of residual PFAS chemicals in the environment, including hydrogeologic investigations, groundwater testing, and assessment of site remediation options. After pilot testing of a Colloidal Activated Carbon (CAC) permeable reactive barrier (PRB), a full-scale PRB was installed late last year to limit further PFAS migration from the facility.
Barnstable County Administrator Michael Dutton said: “GZA’s data-driven and technical approach has helped us better understand the complexity of the site and surrounding groundwater conditions, and identify effective, cost-conscious remediation strategies. Based on their recommendations, a permeable reactive barrier was installed downgradient of the facility in October 2025. Early monitoring results are encouraging and indicate the system is performing as intended.”
Along with the County, GZA also coordinates and leads a series of public involvement meetings to keep residents, business owners, and other stakeholders informed on the progress of PFAS investigation and remediation and to address their questions and concerns.
GZA President and CEO Patrick Sheehan said: “Identifying, mitigating, and neutralizing the risks posed by the ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS is a major focus of GZA’s engineers and environmental professionals. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Barnstable County government and our partners to support the County in its efforts to investigate and remediate the former Municipal Fire Training Facility and protect the municipal water supplies and public health of Barnstable and Cape Cod.”
Watch a brief overview of the project and its impact: https://bit.ly/BarnstablePFAS
