CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
As a part of the Department of Defense’s ongoing testing for the presence of known or suspected release of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a recent sampling of the 130th Airlift Wing located at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base in Charleston has concluded.
Results validated from groundwater, surface water, soil and sediment samples taken during the site inspection – part of an Air Force-wide investigation into potential drinking water contamination stemming from past firefighting activities - identified no surface water or ground water contamination but identified Perflourinated Compounds (PFC) present on the installation.
The presence of PFCs at the 130th Airlift Wing are limited to the boundaries within the installation. Base boundary wells have been tested and are below the Environmental Protection Agency’s lifetime Health Advisory limits. In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a lifetime drinking water health advisory for PFOS and PFOA of 70 parts per trillion.
McLaughlin Air National Guard Base was one of 203 installations the Air Force identified as potential release locations for Aqueous Film Forming Foam, a firefighting agent containing PFOS/PFOA and used by emergency fire response teams at commercial airports, the Air Force and other services to combat petroleum-based fires. The Air Force launched a proactive, service-wide investigation to assess potential risk to drinking water after the EPA established health advisories for PFOS/PFOA.
As part of the Air Force’s three-step approach — identify, respond, protect — an initial site inspection was conducted in January and July of 2018, and included collection of soil sediment, surface water and ground water.
PFOS and PFOA are two chemicals of the larger class known as PFAS. PFAS are ubiquitous, found in everyday items such as nonstick cookware, microwave popcorn bags, fast-food wrappers, water-resistant clothing, hygiene, and make up products. In defense applications, the chemicals have been found in firefighting foam known as aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF. The foam is used by the Department of Defense and other firefighting organizations to rapidly extinguish fuel fires and protect against catastrophic loss of life and property.
The testing of the Kanawha Valley West Virginia American Water supply indicate PFAS levels are below health advisory levels of 70 parts per trillion.
“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is exploring opportunities to continue to monitor the presence of PFAS in source waters that are being utilized for drinking water systems,” said Dr. Catherine Slemp, State Health Officer and Commissioner of DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health.
“The initial site inspection looked at areas of concern on base as a part of the Department of Defense’s approach to address PFOS and PFOA,” said Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard. “As the DoD continues to move forward with testing across the nation, including at additional West Virginia National Guard facilities in the state, we maintain our commitment to transparency throughout this process and will advocate for additional funding at the national level for further testing, mitigation, or cleanup, if needed.”
The National Guard Bureau is the lead authority for determining if additional testing is required.
Military Departments are switching out AFFF from firefighting systems and backup storage lockers to ensure only the new Military Specification for AFFF without detectable PFOS or PFOA is available for emergency firefighting responses.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 outlines an end date for the Department of Defense’s procurement and use of flourinated foams by 2023 and 2024. In addition, the NDAA will allow the National Guard Bureau to access the Defense Environmental Remediation Account funds for the limited purpose of addressing perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate exposure and contamination resulting from National Guard activities in and around National Guard bases and prohibits the uncontrolled release of fluorinated aqueous film forming foam at military installations except in cases of emergency response.
The legacy AFFF was last used at the 130th Airlift Wing in 2016, when an aircraft crashed Yeager Airport. The legacy AFFF has since been replaced with a new, more environmentally responsible formula that contains no PFOS and only trace amounts of PFOA.
For more information on the Air Force’s response to PFOS and PFOA please visit http://www.afcec.af.mil/WhatWeDo/Environment/Perfluorinated-Compounds/
To view the complete report, visit https://www.130aw.ang.af.mil/Portals/28/documents/Part%201.pdf?ver=2020-06-12-103751-277