New Mexico Environment Department wants Cannon AFB to justify its permit to operate after PFAS leak

By Susan Morée

The New Mexico Environment Department is demanding Cannon Air Force Base pay civil fines and justify its permit to operate within the state after an alleged release of PFAS chemicals — often called forever chemicals — in a retention pond earlier this year. 

According to the Environment Department, Cannon Air Force Base, located in Curry County, released 7,300 gallons of toxic PFAS chemicals into a lined retention pond in early July that were later found to have at least a dozen tears in the liner.

A third-party contractor found the pond to be in compliance as of March of 2024. Cannon  pumped out 3,600 gallons of the 7,300 gallons of contaminated water from the pond in August, when it became aware of the “improper deposit in the lined retention pond,” according to the base’s website.

According to the Air Force base, Cannon’s drinking water wells are upstream of the pond and were not affected. The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center does not expect that wells located off-base will be impacted by the PFAS chemicals. The Air Force base’s website also said potential impacts to groundwater would be captured by an existing groundwater pump and treat system on the southeast boundary of the installation.

But according to the Environment Department, the contaminated water contained firefighting foam wastewater, called rinsate, and it could further threaten local groundwater and public health.

Maj. Jaclyn N. Pienkowski, a spokesperson for Cannon Air Force Base, told NM Political Report in an email that base leadership “is aware that New Mexico Environment Department has taken action against the base for the rinsate release that occurred in July 2024.”

Pienkowski said Cannon has been transparent about the contamination and has been communicating the incident to both the public and the Environment Department. 

“Cannon AFB is committed to preventing future incidents from occurring and ensuring transparency of information regarding all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, inventory on base,” Pienkowski said.

Samples of the rinsate, sediment and the rainwater collected in October from the pond were found to have several orders of magnitude above standards established by the EPA for the chemicals, according to the Environment Department’s complaint.