PFAS - DANGEROUS WATERS - Albuquerque Journal

Posted: 1st February 2025

https://abqjournal-nm.newsmemory.com/?publink=30c34ae7d_134f837

Albuquerque Journal
DANGEROUS WATERS

BY NAKAYLA MCCLELLAND JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Flora and fauna surrounding Holloman Lake contain the highest levels of a toxic chemical that can cause cancer and other health issues — known as PFAS — ever documented, according to a recent report by the New Mexico Environmental Department.

James Kenney, Cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Environment Department, said he was shocked when he learned the results.

“The level of this toxic, poisonous chemical is so much greater than we thought in the animal species, because they’re bioaccumulating it over their lifetime, just like a human would,” he said. “The more you’re exposed to it, the more it gets in your body and it’s impossible to get it out of your body.”

Holloman Lake, near Alamogordo, serves as the wastewater reservoir for Holloman Air Force Base. Though the lake prohibited hunting in 2024 amid growing concerns about PFAS, it is still a popular spot for camping and bird watching.

PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” can cause cancer, developmental issues, immune system issues, reproductive issues and more, according to a study by the University of New Mexico. Common household items with large traces of PFAS include nonstick pots and pans, and takeout containers that repel grease such as pizza boxes and cleaning products.

The report showed the levels of PFAS found in animals and plants around the lake broke previous records. The Environment Department obtained 109 samples of soil, surface water and biological samples like eggshells and algae to determine PFAS levels. State officials believe additional testing needs to be done with waterfowl and

oryx samples to better understand risks to hunters outside the immediate contamination area.

PFAS concentrations documented at Holloman Lake from 2021 to 2023 reached thousands and tens of thousands of nanograms per gram, causing concern among environmental experts. Previous investigations of Holloman Lake indicated areas with the most PFAS are home to firefighting training areas. PFAS have been detected in 722 military installations across the country, with experts citing firefighting foam as the largest contributor to PFAS.

“That was by design that those Air Force foams washed down into the ground and into the lake,” Kenney said. “The State of New Mexico knows that they (Holloman AFB) have been aware since Congress directed them to look at all their bases across the country. In fact, they’re so aware that the Department of Defense sued the State of New Mexico in 2019 to erode our authority to require them to clean it up.”

In a statement to the Journal, Holloman AFB said they were addressing foam PFAS “that may be associated with Holloman AFB mission activities.”

“The DAF (Department of the Air Force) has expended $2.9 million on the PFAS investigation at Holloman AFB to date and will continue to advance the remedial investigation pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act process,” Holloman AFB wrote in a statement to the Journal.

As part of the investigation, Holloman AFB completed a preliminary assessment in 2015 and followed with a site investigation in 2019 to determine possible environmental impacts, according to a statement. Remedial investigation began in 2022, which determines the extent of PFAS exposure.

“Protecting human health and the environment is a top Department of the Air Force environmental priority and we have taken aggressive steps at Holloman to meet that priority,” Holloman AFB added.

Kenney said his department is seeking money to put toward the problem.

“My department has requested money every year from the Legislature to do everything from testing water, testing people’s blood around Cannon (Air Force Base), testing the flora, the water, the environment, the animals around Holloman, and to this day, the Department of Defense has no plan to clean up the PFAS that migrated off site.”

This year, the New Mexico Environment Department is requesting $8 million from the Legislature for clean-up efforts. The department is also asking the Legislature to make PFAS cleanup a higher priority. Kenney is also hopeful the Legislature will support a House bill that would not allow manufactures to sell or distribute items with PFAS.

Clean up would require pumping and treating groundwater and running it through a charcoal filter and safely disposing the filter to avoid further contamination.

You can reach staff writer Nakayla McClelland via email at [email protected].