Eielson Airforce Base is updating residents around Moose Creek about perfluorinated compounds or PFCs in ground water. In 2015 testing revealed contamination from firefighting foam and it is still wrestling with solutions.
It’s been several years since the Air Force discovered PFC tainted water on Eielson Air Force Base and in the nearby community of Moose Creek. Gary Fink with the Air Force’s Civil Engineer Center said two particular compounds pose potential risk.
“The contaminants of concern are PFOS and PFOA,” Fink said. “And so far there’s been 169 residents that have exceeded the EPA health advisory.”
Fink said the Air Force initially offered bottled water to affected homes, and to date, it has either installed water holding tanks or filtration systems for 159 homes. He said testing has identified the edge of the 6.5-mile plume and it currently seems stable. But that could change. Fink said the Air Force is looking at various long term solutions.
“Either hooking up to an existing distribution system like North Pole or installing tanks on every house,” Fink said. “There’s several options we’re looking at.”
Eric Breitenberger is a program manager with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. He generally gives the Air Force high marks for its response in getting safe drinking water to Moose Creek residents. But he said PFCs are an emerging contaminant, meaning there are a lot of unknowns associated with them, including how long they stick around in the environment.
“These materials are very stable, that’s why they’re used in firefighting foam applications because they don’t readily degrade,” Breitenberger said. “But we don’t have a lot of information on how long they’ll persist in ground water. Initial indications are that it’ll probably be several decades, and perhaps longer.”
Brietenberger said PFCs pose a significant national problem. The meeting is Dec. 1, from 6-7 p.m. at the Moose Creek Fire Station
