Air Force Spills 150,000 Gallons Of PFCs, Did Not Warn Wastewater Utility

The U.S. Air Force disclosed last week that it spilled 150,000 gallons of water laced with perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) into the sewage system in Colorado and that it failed to warn a local wastewater utility in time to prepare for the chemical influx.

The contaminated water spilled from Colorado’s Peterson Air Force Base, moved through a Colorado Springs Utilities wastewater treatment plant and then into Fountain Creek, which flows into the Arkansas River, The Denver Post reported. Air Force officials said they noticed the spill on October 12 during an inspection and notified the utility the following day.

“The spill, which Air Force officials said they’re investigating, happened as the Air Force increasingly faces scrutiny as a source of groundwater contamination nationwide,” The Denver Post reported.

“An investigation into the incident is ongoing to determine how the discharge occurred and a review is underway to determine if there are gaps in procedures or training. [Peterson base’s] Environmental Chief Fred Brooks said there are multiple valves that must be switched to empty the tank so part of the investigation will look into whether this was done on accident or on purpose,” KRDO reported.

Utility officials emphasized the difficulty of treating PFCs, a component in firefighting foam employed in military training operations.

“Even if we would have been able to head it off at the plant, we’re not equipped. I don’t know of any wastewater plants in the country equipped to remove PFCs,” utilities spokesman Steve Berry said, per The Denver Post. “We would not have been able to remove that chemical before it was discharged back into the environment from our effluent.”

The Air Force issue a statement, per The Denver Post: “We take all environmental concerns seriously and have opened an investigation to determine the cause of the discharge and prevent it from happening again,” said Col. Doug Schiess, commander of the 21st Space Wing at Peterson AFB.

Colorado is not new to PFC contamination, which troubles industrial areas nationwide. Nearly 200 public water supplies across the country are estimated to have higher-than-normal levels of PFCs, according to Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

In the Colorado cities of Security, Fountain, and Widefield, “officials have worked overtime since January to remove higher-than-normal concentrations of perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, from the water supply. While the city of Fountain is now 100 percent PFC free, Security and Widefield still have work to do,” Colorado Public Radio reported. The Air Force is investigating if it caused that contamination, as well, CBS News reported.

The U.S. EPA issued a health advisory in May about PFC exposure as various cities wage high-profile battles against the compounds. The EPA links high levels of PFC exposure “to low birth weights, forms of cancer and other health problems,” Colorado Public Radio reported.

Hoosick Falls, NY, and the Philadelphia suburbs are both waging high-profile fights against the effects of PFC contamination.