NMED Agrees To Remediate Forever Chemical Contamination At Curry County Dairies
The New Mexico Environment Department has entered into four agreements with local dairies to investigate and remediate groundwater contaminated by PFAS "forever chemicals" that originated from Cannon Air Force Base firefighting foam. This cleanup initiative follows a significant incident in 2022 where Highland Dairy outside Clovis euthanized over three thousand cattle due to contamination, highlighting the severity of the plume affecting communities near Portales and Tucumcari.
Key Points
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1The New Mexico Environment Department signed agreements with four dairy farms in Curry County to test for contaminants.
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2Groundwater contamination is caused by firefighting foam containing PFAS 'forever chemicals' used at Cannon Air Force Base, which seeped into the local aquifer since 2018. In late February alone over a million gallons of contaminated water were pumped out from dairy wells in Curry County to prevent further spread.
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3In early March officials announced plans for remediation efforts that will involve cleaning up PFAS-contaminated groundwater at multiple dairies across eastern New Mexico.
Developments
New Mexico Environment Department officials plan a cleanup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination that seeped into Curry County groundwater from firefighting foam used at Cannon Air Force Base. This pollution has affected several local dairies, including Highland Dairy, which had to cull over 3,500 animals due to the issue.
New Mexico officials announced agreements with four Curry County dairies for groundwater testing related to PFAS contamination discovered at Cannon Air Force Base. This remediation effort follows the initial discovery of toxic chemicals in Clovis soil and water plumes starting in 2015, though cleanup progress has been hindered by ongoing litigation between New Mexico and the U.S. Air Force regarding jurisdiction over hazardous waste laws.
The New Mexico Environment Department has entered into four agreements with Curry County dairies funded by the state, which is seeking reimbursement from the U.S. Air Force for groundwater contamination caused by toxic PFAS at Cannon AFB since 2031 or later (the text mentions "until" and a date of Jan 2026 meeting). The department aims to remediate damage including over 3,600 euthanized cows while the federal government has not yet responded due to an ongoing lawsuit.