U.S. Air Force Commits Money to Cleanup Kirtland Groundwater Contamination

The U.S. Air Force has committed $15 million to accelerate the cleanup of soil and groundwater contamination stemming from a jet fuel leak at Kirtland Air Force Base, members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation will announce today.

In recent weeks, we’ve learned that the leak is much more extensive than previously thought and state officials are worried about the federal government’s commitment to fixing the problem. Today’s announcement should help alleviate those concerns – if not completely, then at least somewhat.

My colleague John Fleck has been doing a great job covering this alarming groundwater issue. He’s on vacation, but you can read his  recent reports here and here.

And here’s a press release on the Air Force announcement from New Mexico’s congressional delegation:

           U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom
Udall, along with Representative Martin Heinrich, have secured a commitment
from a top Air Force official to accelerate cleanup of soil and groundwater
contamination resulting from a jet fuel leak at Kirtland Air Force Base. 
To fund its stepped-up commitment, the Air Force said it is committing $15
million toward cleanup efforts this year.

           
The fuel leaked over several decades from storage tanks at a Kirtland Air Force
Base fuel loading facility.  The contamination was first detected a decade
ago and cleanup efforts have been ongoing. 

           
Bingaman, Udall and Heinrich met with Air Force Assistant Secretary Terry
Yonkers late Wednesday afternoon to urge the Air Force to move more quickly to
clean up the contamination.  Yonkers, who is assistant secretary for installations, environment and
logistics, provided his assurance that
the Air Force is committed to completing a comprehensive assessment of the
contamination plume and to cleaning it up on an accelerated schedule.

           
In turn, the lawmakers said they would work to ensure there is adequate funding
to make both the accelerated assessment and cleanup possible. 

            “The
Air Force is committed to fixing this problem.  To that end, we are
reprogramming additional funding this year and we are working to identify the
best technology to clean up the contamination as quickly as possible,” Yonkers
said.  “I look forward to meeting with state officials when I’m in
New Mexico next week.”

           
 ”The need to protect the city’s water supply is of the utmost
importance.  In my view, the Air Force is in a position to take swifter action
to clean up this jet fuel leak, and I’m very pleased the Air Force has
committed to stepping up its cleanup efforts,” said Bingaman, a
member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  ”We will make
sure that the Air Force fulfills its commitment.”

            “Our meeting with Assistant Secretary Yonkers was
constructive,” said Udall. “I urged him to be aggressive in
protecting the water table beneath Kirtland, and consequently the health of the
Albuquerque community, and requested their timeline for doing so. The Assistant
Secretary stated his intent to accelerate efforts to clean up the fuel spill
and we will do our part to support those efforts.”

            “Safeguarding our drinking water is paramount to
public health. I am pleased that the Air Force has agreed to expedite their
cleanup efforts and ensure that the safety and well being of those living near
the leak are not compromised,” said Heinrich, a member of the
House Armed Service Committee.