New Mexico has launched an investigation into PFAS contaminated water at the Cannon Air Force base near Clovis and the Holloman Air Force base at Alamogordo, New Mexico. It’s part of the state’s effort to locate contamination of “forever” chemicals which don’t easily degrade in the environment.
Both are sites with contamination caused by per and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS which is used in food packaging, non-stick pans and fire-fighting foams used in extinguishing fuel-based fires.
New Mexico’s Environment Department has started testing public drinking water sources across the state to determine if PFAS is affecting other communities too. The Department said the efforts will help determine any next steps in identifying and managing the contamination in the state.
The state recently awarded a $1 million contract to address the PFAS contamination in Alamogordo and Clovis by studying the size and movement of the groundwater plumes at the two cities where the military bases are located.
The study to be taken by environmental consultant Daniel B Stephens & Associates Inc. has to be completed before any cleanup efforts can begin.
The State of New Mexico is engaged in ongoing litigation with the DOD to ensure the State and affected communities are not left financially responsible for environmental contamination caused by DOD.
“This is a major step forward in solving the problem handed to New Mexicans by the Defense Department.” said NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “While New Mexicans are paying the bill for this effort today, the State is determined to recoup from the federal government every dollar we spend.”
This work will begin in the next few weeks and NMED will keep the communities of Alamogordo and Clovis updated on the project’s progress.
“This is a major step forward in solving the problem handed to New Mexicans by the Defense Department.” said NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “While New Mexicans are paying the bill for this effort today, the State is determined to recoup from the federal government every dollar we spend.”
This work will begin in the next few weeks and NMED will keep the communities of Alamogordo and Clovis updated on the project’s progress.
Sampling efforts are also underway in 19 New Mexico counties but the state said that so far, the data did not indicate any imminent public health threats.
S contamination in drinking water supplies at a few locations around the state stemming from aqueous firefighting foams (AFFF) used at two U.S. DOD installations in Alamogordo and Clovis.
“The first step toward addressing PFAS contamination in New Mexico is finding out where these chemicals are,” said Rebecca Roose, NMED Water Protection Division Director. “We are vigilant in deploying our limited resources to gather the best available data and share it with the public in a transparent way.”
