KIRTLAND AIR FORCE JET FUEL SPILL –

WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR FROM THE AIR FORCE

Sixty years of gross negligence:

• Destruction of Albuquerque’s drinking water aquifer with toxic chemicals.

• Failure to comply with hazardous waste law requirements. Failure to find the leading edge of the plume. Failure to investigate area between the toe of the Ethylene Dibromide (EDB) plume and the municipal supply wells. Failure to provide sentinel wells for early warning.

• Failure to annually inspect pipelines for 50 years violating Air Force requirements.

• Issuance of waivers beginning in 1985 when the Air Force knew of pipeline problems.

• Dishonest statements that Kirtland only knew in 1999 Fuel Facility was leaking.

• Lack of site specific hydrogeological information to comply with hazardous waste law.

  • Failure to find how far, how wide, how deep and how fast the 24,000,000 gallon fuel contamination has spread.

  • Insufficient number of monitor wells to collect data for characterization.

  • Inaccurate maps that do not describe the full extent of the spreading toxic plume.

• Misinformation that Soil Vapor Extraction would halt the movement of the spread of Ethylene Dibromide (EDB).

• Misleading the public that in 2007 the jet fuel and aviation gas was discovered in the groundwater. The actual discovery was in 2001. (CH2M Hill 7/24/2001).

• Withholding information from the public from 2006-2008 that the jet fuel had moved off the base in Albuquerque’s aquifer.

• Twenty year failure to remove contamination from the groundwater.

THERE IS NO PLAN FOR CLEANUP OF THE DISSOLVED PLUME OF EDB

The jet fuel catastrophe requires a scientific and independent task force as requested by the New Mexico State Legislature in 2014. The task force could be selected by the National Academies of Science National Research Council -- NOT some civilian that is hand-picked by the Air Force; NOT the underfunded, understaffed NM Environment Department run by a Secretary who has a conflict of interest because he is also employed by the Air Force.

The Air Force wants to convince the politicians and policy makers that “dilution is the solution to the pollution”. JUST LET THE PUBLIC DRINK EDB CONTAMINATED WATER. “Contaminant reduction through blending of water.”

New Mexico can allow more than double the EDB in drinking water as states such as Florida and Massachusetts. 

Governor Martinez, Mayor Berry, Senators Udall and Heinrich, Representative Grisham and NMED Secretary Flynn are not responding to the emergency.

TOXIC AIR EMISSIONS --The Air Force has applied for a permit for using soil vapor extraction equipment that will emit 30 tons per year of volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants into the public’s breathing space. Why is there no plan for an emissions recovery system?

The EPA Region 6 and New Mexico Environment Department issued a “draft” model to fool the public that it will be 30 years before the toxic nightmare of Ethylene Dibromide arrives at the Ridgecrest municipal supply wells. Data gaps prevented making the predictions. The earlier arrival of trace amounts of EDB are not considered. EDB is hazardous at any level.

The big question is not the arrival time, but rather how much of our aquifer is being destroyed and made unavailable for use now and in the future?

2011 --The Air Force suggested to Congress that municipal wells that may become contaminated can simply be shut down and then Albuquerque find other sources of water. Kirtland and Sandia Labs have contaminated the most productive portion of the aquifer.

2012 -- The Albuquerque Water Authority asked the Air Force to install sentinel wells as close as possible to the municipal wells for early warning of contamination. No sentinel monitoring wells are in place near the municipal supply wells.

2013 – Application made to place fuel spill on the National Priorities List for Kirtland. LOST IN PENTAGON MAIL SYSTEM FOR 5 MONTHS.

2014 – Rep. Grisham says fuel spill should be “No. 1 priority”. New Mexico Legislature passes Memorial requesting an independent scientific task force to review fuel spill and report on emergency measures that could be taken. NOT DONE. SHOULD BE DONE IMMEDIATELY BY CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.

2014 – The Air Force informs the media that there is unnecessary public hysteria.

2014 – Air Force recommends the public should drink EDB contaminated water.

The Air Force doesn’t know where it could put billions of gallons of water from a pump and treat operation to remove contamination from the aquifer.

CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD -- UNREPRESENTATIVE OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS

• Representative Lujan Grisham proposed a new independent and “substantive” citizens group that would have more say in the work being done to protect the city’s drinking water supplies. “They’re doing their work in a vacuum.” (ABQ Journal 12/17/2013).

• No meaningful dialog exists between the CAB, the Air Force, NMED and the public.

• Air Force always sets the agenda.

• No records kept for what public says.

• No minutes kept for meetings.

• No public membership application process with mailing to public.

• CAB Members not posted on Kirtland website, not identifiable at meetings.

• No identifying plaques in meeting.

• Operates without roll call, without a quorum.

• CAB doesn’t offer advisories to Kirtland.CAB members rarely have anything to say. Their attendance at meetings is unknown. Who are they?

For further information: www.radfreenm.org 505 262-1862