This report is supported by NM Political Report, a nonprofit newsroom working to increase New Mexicans’ engagement in politics and public policy.
Reported by: Noah Gollin, New Mexico Political Report
This report is original reporting by a New Mexico-based independent journalist with support NMreports.org and its readers and sponsors.
Location: Clovis, New Mexico
626 of 628 — 99.7% — of people tested in a state-led study of residents and workers around Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis have measurable levels of PFAS in their blood, with results for those nearest the base up to 10 times the national average, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by the state.
Per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) are a category of man-made chemicals used in a variety of consumer goods and industrial processes, including firefighting foam at Cannon AFB. Known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down and they propensity to accumulate in the body over time. PFAS accumulation has been linked to several negative health outcomes including cancer, immune system suppression, and elevated cholesterol.
A summary of the findings released by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and Department of Health (DOH) this week reports says “the data strongly suggests a correlation between Cannon Air Force Base’s PFAS contamination and PFAS blood levels detected in the participants of the study. Residents living in the plume area showed dramatically higher concentrations, with 26% carrying the highest concentration tier used in national guidelines — over 10 times the rate of the broader testing group.”
Cannon AFB first reported groundwater contamination to the Environment Department (NMED) in 2018.
In 2024, the NMED and the Department of Health launched the New Mexico PFAS Blood Testing Project, which took blood samples and other data from September through November of that year.
“The results put heartbreak into hard facts,” said NMED Secretary James Kenney. “This evidence of the harm the U.S. Air Force has done to its neighbors is a call to action to immediately address its longstanding, neglected, toxic PFAS plume that continues to expose the families of Curry County.”
“The data in this report contributes to a growing body of evidence showing that the Air Force’s use of PFAS-laden firefighting foams has damaged the health and well-being of residents in nearby communities,” said DOH Secretary Gina DeBlassie. “My department will continue to work with NMED to provide support to New Mexicans in impacted areas of Curry County and across the state.”
NMED has already allocated $12 million to connect groundwater well users impacted by the plume to public water systems.