County vows to help address PFAS contamination of private wells

Nov. 14—Jose Villegas, a resident of the La Cieneguilla Land Grant, attended a Santa Fe County government meeting Tuesday — his first time since 1992.

That's because he is "livid" that a nearby New Mexico National Guard facility might have polluted communities south of Santa Fe with chemical compounds linked to cancer and did not notify them about the possible water contamination, he said.

"How much PFAS chemical have I, my wife, my children and my grandchildren already digested since ... February?" he asked during Tuesday's County Commission meeting, referring to the date the National Guard published a report saying its facility had contaminated groundwater with the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, substances known as "forever chemicals."

County testing of six private wells last week showed three had dangerous levels of PFAS, including Villegas'. He and county commissioners commended county staff for proactively testing the wells and promptly announcing the results.

County Manager Greg Shaffer assured meeting attendees the county will not only investigate the scope of the contamination with further testing but will begin public outreach to residents of La Cienega and La Cieneguilla about the issue, in conjunction with the state Environment Department and PFAS experts, while working to find "potential macro-level solutions."

The county might be able to fund water testing and treatment, such as filters, through its home rehabilitation program, Shaffer said.

Commissioner Camilla Bustamante noted "a lot of very, very concerned" people convened at a community meeting Monday to talk about the issue, which she said is her top concern.

She noted the county has "no regulation, no authority over the private wells, but absolutely a concern for protecting our residents and making sure they get the information that they need."

Bustamante plans to take informational flyers door to door, she said.

Villegas accused the U.S. Department of Defense of "negligence" over its failure to notify the surrounding communities about findings of PFAS.

"What is the plan to mitigate recovery to address this serious public health, public welfare and public safety [issue] in my home and my community?" asked Villegas, a member of the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians. "Who is going to provide my family with another safe drinking water resource while I and my family cannot drink the groundwater?"

New Mexico National Guard spokesman Hank Minitrez said in an email the agency is "committed to protecting human health" and "will continue our comprehensive efforts to investigate and respond to releases of PFOS/PFOA, as appropriate, to ensure continued protection of Soldiers, their families and the communities surrounding our installations."

The National Guard started investigating potential PFAS releases at the Santa Fe Army Aviation Support Facility in 2019, Minitrez said.

A remedial investigation — to determine the extent of contamination and evaluate risks to human health and the environment, and then evaluate options for cleanup — is now underway but may take "several years," he said.

In other business, the commission voted to close its Jacona and Eldorado solid waste convenience centers on Sundays starting Nov. 26 due to staff shortages.

The Tesuque Convenience Center is expected to open this month.