Cannon Air Force Base. Courtesy/CAB

NMED News:

• Initiative addresses health concerns from residents during August meeting

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is offering residents who live around Cannon Air Force Base and get their drinking water from a private well free drinking water testing for contamination from fire-fighting foams.

For decades, fire-fighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS, were routinely used by Cannon AFB which contaminated nearby groundwater — the primary source of drinking water for local residents. When ingested, PFAS cause various health complications, including high cholesterol, birth defects, and several types of cancer. Additional information about PFAS is available here.

The State of New Mexico is offering these drinking water tests — free of charge — as a direct result of residents’ testimonies shared with NMED during the PFAS blood testing public meeting held on Aug. 27.

At that meeting, Environment Secretary James Kenney and NMED staff heard heart-wrenching personal stories from residents living near Cannon AFB, including those of chronic illness and loss of family members and neighbors.

Many residents who attended the meeting alleged the U.S. Air Force (USAF) failed to test their water for PFAS contamination it had directly caused or provide and maintain filtration systems. This is despite the USAF previously stating they would install point of use drinking water filtration systems at locations exceeding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisories.

Unlike at installations such as Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, the U.S. Department of Defense has not cleaned up any of its PFAS plume that migrated off Cannon AFB since the contamination’s confirmation in 2018.

“Neighbors of Cannon Air Force Base are fatigued and frustrated with the U.S. Department of Defense marginalizing their physical and mental health every time they use their well water,” Kenney said. “My message to the residents who live around Cannon Air Force Base is simple: you and your families deserve safe drinking water. We will do everything in our power to make sure that you get it.”

The testing is available to anyone who lives in areas around Cannon AFB on a first come, first served basis to 150 households. Depending on the response, NMED may expand the initiative. To sign up, email NMED at strategic.initiatives@state.nm.us with your full name, email address, street address, and phone number. In addition, those with questions can call Science Coordinator Claudia Trueblood at 505.629.3551.

For those who sign in September, testing will begin in October and will be conducted by an NMED contractor at your residence. Depending on test results, NMED will work with residents to find solutions to lower PFAS levels in their private well water.

This effort is in addition to the free PFAS blood testing NMED is offering residents living or working near Cannon AFB. There are less than 175 available appointments left for October session, scheduled for Oct. 3 through Oct. 9. To date, 315 appointments have been scheduled. To find out if you are eligible and schedule an appointment, please call (575) 575-PFAS or (575) 575-7327.