Read the full article by Matthew Mondschein (Source NM)
“A total of 43 wells in the La Cienega and La Cieneguilla communities in Santa Fe County showed ‘forever chemical’ contamination in recent tests, Santa Fe County announced on Monday.
The well testing, which the New Mexico Environment Department undertook, follows a data-sharing agreement the state and county made earlier this year, which ‘gives opportunities for interaction between our scientists so they can learn from each other in real time,’ NMED Special Project Coordinator Andrew Hautzinger said in a statement accompanying the news release announcing the test results. ‘This gives us the awareness of who is doing what, why they are doing it, and how we can learn together as we move forward.’
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, or PFAS, were first found in the groundwater near the Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility by the Santa Fe Regional Airport in 2023. When the county subsequently tested wells in nearby La Cienega and La Cieneguilla, several wells were found to be contaminated.
Exposure through contaminated water and soil, as well as through the plants and animals, cause PFAS to build up in the human body. While still being studied, PFAS exposure is linked to increased cancer risks, fertility issues, low birth weights or fetal development issues and hormonal imbalances.”…