Wright-Patterson Air Force Base releases new details about forever chemical contamination, clean-up

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2 days ago

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base held a tour Thursday to address a chemical spill that threatened water quality on base and, according to the City of Dayton, their customers for the last decade.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6, base environmental officials provided new details on the PFAs, also known as forever chemicals, found on base.
PFAs, or forever chemicals, were often used in firefighting foam decades ago, before we knew about the dangers. Base environmental workers have created huge containment and treatment centers.
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'There were two releases that occurred at the hazardous material storage facility,' Greg Plamondon with the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said.
Base environmental leaders say the PFAs chemicals that were released were both firefighting foam and concentrated liquid used to make the foam.
'So the fire suppression system over-pressurized for one of the releases and a relief valve failed,' Plamondon said.
Plamondon says environmental crews worked to clean it up back in 2015, but some of the PFAs still seeped into the ground, groundwater and surface water.
Base officials moved to implement highly technical clean-up sites where water is collected, aerated, then goes through sand filtration and then absorbent treatment.
'If one fails or needs maintenance it can be taken out of service and not stop treating water,' Terry Bauer, a construction engineer, said.
Bauer is a construction quality control manager who works with two systems like this.
'This is one of the first of its kind in the country, here and at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina,' Bauer said. 'So, we're cutting edge at the moment.'
Base leaders showed News Center 7 another clean-up site on Area A at a former firefighter training facility, where more PFAs were used and leaked. The biggest concern is safe drinking water on base and in the nearby areas.
The base took two wells off-line until they built a major water treatment center in 2018.
'It gets down to non-detectable, and the laboratory's detection limits are around two parts per trillion,' Raymond Baker with American Water said.
The EPA's recommended guidelines for PFAs is four parts per trillion, according to base leaders. So the treatment plant is working to remove the forever chemicals.
News Center 7 is reaching out to the City of Dayton for information on the impact to their well fields.
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