EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Base officials want the base populace to know - Eglin’s drinking water is safe.
A recent online publication identified more than 400 military installations where the potential exists for the release of Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid and Perfluorooctanoic Acid into the environment as a result of past firefighting activities.
The contaminants were found in the commonly used Aqueous Film Forming Foam that was the main source of firefighting material for many years.
As a result of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lifetime Health Advisory on PFOS/PFOA throughout the U.S., the Air Force is conducting enterprise-wide sampling to ensure each installation’s drinking water is safe to drink.
“Our team at Eglin pulls over 4,000 drinking water samples a year with oversight of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection,” said Capt. Benjamin McComb, 96th Medical Group. “We specifically pulled 349 drinking water samples to test for PFOS/PFOA in 2016 and 2017 and all results returned non-detect.”
Armstrong added that although the contaminants are in the groundwater, there is no threat to people because there are no pathways to exposure. Additionally, Eglin’s drinking water comes from the deep Floridan Aquifer, which is around 600-700 feet deep and is protected by a thick layer of clay that prevents contaminants from reaching the aquifer.
Although PFOS/PFOA are unregulated by the EPA and commonly found, the Air Force is taking aggressive measures to reduce the risk of mission-related PFOS/PFOA contamination to installation and supporting communities’ drinking-water sources.
The Air Force has directed conversion of the legacy AFFF in all fire vehicles and hangar fire-suppression systems. The new, environmentally-friendly foam, call Phos-Chek, is PFOS-free and contains only trace amounts of PFOA. Eglin completed the foam conversion in its fire vehicles in 2016. The hangar conversion is scheduled to begin this August and be completed by November.