Air Force is expanding sampling area of PFOS/PFOA

Fairchild Air Force Base announced on Oct. 5 that it is expanding its current sampling area of Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is asking for the public's help to identify the drinking water wells for the potential samplings.

"We are continuing to try to identify the private well owners within the current sampling area," Marc Connally, AFCEC remedial project manager said in the release. "We want to ensure to be as thorough as possible as the sampling area is modified to include water testing for more community members."

The Air Force plans to sample about 30 more wells. The locations include wells between the sample area immediately northwest of the phase three sampling area, which was north of the base and east to the city of Airway Heights. There are also samples taking place about one mile south and two miles north of Highway 2.

So far, the Air Force has sampled 98 wells to see if there is PFOS/PFOA present in the drinking water supplies above the Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime health advisory, which is 70 parts per trillion.

Of those wells, 55 of them did not have detectable levels while 29 had levels below the health advisory. Fourteen of the wells have found concentrations of PFOS/PFOA concentrations above the advisory. For those affected, the Air Force is providing alternative drinking water sources for the residents who used the wells.

To find more information on the contaminant testing by the Air Force, information can be found at http://www.fairchild.af.mil/PFOS-PFOA-INFO.

Grace Pohl can be reached at grace@cheneyfreepress.com.