ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Chemicals associated with firefighting foam once used at a U.S. Air Force base in eastern New Mexico have been detected in groundwater on and near the military installation, prompting requests by state officials for more tests and a study to determine the extent of the toxic plume.
The New Mexico Environment Department confirmed the contamination Tuesday, saying officials at Cannon Air Force Base notified state environment, health and agricultural officials about the compounds.
The Air Force is making bottled water available for drinking and cooking for residents who rely on wells that exceed a health advisory level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"This is all in groundwater, so we’re concerned about protection and remediation of groundwater in that area.
The chemical compounds have been detected at military bases and other sites around the U.S. EPA testing from 2013 to 2015 found significant amounts of PFAS in public water supplies in 33 states, a finding that helped move PFAS up as a national priority.
Rick Snyder created a state response team and approved $23 million in emergency spending.
Some members of Congress also are pressing for the EPA to act faster to bring more of the country’s most hazardous industrial compounds under regulation.
New Mexico environment officials say this marks the first major detection of the chemicals in the state and more work needs to be done to determine the scope of the contamination at Cannon and areas bordering the base.
The state Environment Department is overseeing the Air Force’s investigation of the contamination at Cannon.
Aside from studying the plume, the agency is requiring the Air Force to sample all water wells within a 4-mile (6-kilometer) radius of the southeastern corner of the base.