Read the full article by Josh Farley, Kitsap Sun
“BANGOR — The Navy is supplying a home bordering Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor with bottled water after testing found potentially dangerous levels of contamination caused by a firefighting foam used on the base.
Concerned about the accumulation in local aquifers of what are commonly called PFAS, the Navy has funded testing for homes on private wells that surround Bangor. Of the preliminary water tests that have been completed, Naval Base Kitsap Commander Capt. Richard Rhinehart said Tuesday there’s been one ‘exceedance’ out of 73 wells examined.
‘As environmental stewards, allowing our neighbors to drink water that’s above the EPA’s suggested health advisory level would be unacceptable,’ said Rhinehart, adding that delivering the bottled water will continue ‘until we find a long-term solution.’
‘As we’re also members of this community, we’ll be here for however long it takes to resolve this problem,’ he said.
Firefighters at Bangor have used aqueous film-forming foam, known as AFFF for short, during training and emergencies. It is no longer used for training but is still relied upon for emergencies, officials said previously.
The contaminants in AFFF — known as ‘per and polyfluoroalkyl substances’ and commonly called PFAS — have been in use for decades. They’re found in everything from cookware to rain jackets and can build up in humans’ bloodstream. The Environmental Protection Agency says once there’s too much in drinking water — above 70 parts per trillion — it can be dangerous, with testing on animals showing increased risks of cancers. There are also demonstrated effects on the body’s immune system, liver and thyroid and impacts on human development…”