Air Force Says Kirtland AFB Fuel Contamination Cleanup Will Take Years

April 22, 2019

Air Force Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Correll said Monday that the service remains committed to cleaning up groundwater contaminated from jet fuel at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., but it will take years to complete, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Correll told the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority that the service is determined “to make sure no one in this city or on Kirtland Air Force Base will drink water that is EDB (ethylene dibromide) contaminated.”
He added there are no funding issues related to the cleanup, though funding “fluctuates” yearly based on project needs. The Air Force has spent $125 million on the cleanup effort.
Officials first detected the contamination in 1999 on surface water near a jet fueling facility, eventually finding holes in underground pipes that carry the fuel. Millions of gallons had been slowly leaking for decades.
Correll said no new fuel leak contamination has been found in wells used to detect problems or drinking water wells, noting that drinking water wells are tested monthly.
Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Enjoli Saunders

April 22, 2019

Recent News

Final Appropriations Deadline Approaches

Final Appropriations Deadline Approaches

Friday is the deadline for Congress to pass the final six appropriations bills for the current fiscal year. The defense appropriations bill is part of the package. Punchbowl News reported this morning that negotiators have finished work on defense spending and other...

In Our Communities

In Our Communities

Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia expects to hire 3,000 skilled trade workers this year and a total of 19,000 over the next 10 years as the demand for nuclear-powered submarines increases, The Virginian-Pilot reported. “We are making intentional investments and...

Upcoming Webinars on EPA Community Change Grants

Upcoming Webinars on EPA Community Change Grants

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a round of funding for “environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity...

Snap of the Week

Snap of the Week

Lt. Col. Jonathan Vaage, 98th Flying Training Squadron director of operations, and Branden Sorensen, Air Force Recruiting Service-sponsored Formula Drift driver, prepare to land after tandem skydiving at the Air Force Academy, Colorado, March 13. Sorensen, who has...

PAST STORIES