REGIONAL NEWS: New Mexico fines Air Force $1.7 million over groundwater

New Mexico has fined the Air Force for discharging wastewater without a permit and failing to monitor the discharge for toxic chemicals found in firefighting foam. Here, airmen at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., work their way through foam after a hangar’s fire suppression system was activated in 2009.
/Air Force

AirForceTimes

The New Mexico Environment Department on Thursday assessed the U.S. Air Force a nearly $1.7 million fine for not complying with rules aimed at protecting groundwater.

The agency claims Cannon Air Force Base has released wastewater despite not having a permit since March 2019.

State officials are concerned because the base near Clovis is among dozens of military installations around the U.S. where contamination from past firefighting activities has been reported. The contamination is linked to chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

“The Air Force continues to ignore New Mexico’s environmental laws,” said James Kenney, head of the Environment Department. “Rather than address PFAS contamination, the Department of Defense shows no interest in helping afflicted communities and impacted natural resources.”

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