New Mexico Environment Department to begin PFAS clean up at Curry County dairies

Read the full article by Jordan Honeycutt (KRQE News).

“CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico Environment Department officials said they will clean up per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination in eastern New Mexico. Firefighting foam containing the forever chemicals, used at Cannon Air Force Base, seeped into the groundwater in Curry County. Several local dairies were affected, including Highland Dairy, which had to kill more than 3,500 cows.

The New Mexico Environment Department has since reached agreements with four dairies, including Highland, to remediate the groundwater. The NMED first reached out to the Air Force to do it, but the Air Force hasn’t responded, citing pending lawsuits over the spill.

So the department said they will start the cleanup themselves. ‘If we are gonna begin investigation and eventual clean up of this PFAS plume, I think that New Mexico is gonna have to take the lead if it’s gonna be done any time soon,’ said Zachary Ogaz, General Counsel at New Mexico Environment Department.

The environment department said they will seek reimbursement from the Air Force for the cleanup costs.”…