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Some test sites at Ohakea Air Force Base show rising levels of toxic chemicals used in firefighting foam. File photo.
photo: 123 RF
Toxic “forever chemicals” are still present in the water around Ohakea Air Force Base, and testing shows levels of the chemicals have increased in some cases.
In 2017, the Defense Force discovered PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in firefighting foam used on bases in the groundwater of the local drinking water supply.
Bottled water was introduced in 2018, and a $12 million piped water supply project will open in 2022.
Man-made chemicals have been present in nature and in our bodies for centuries. They can increase the risk of certain cancers, raise cholesterol, weaken immunity and slow development in children.
Regular testing at Ohakea Reservoir found PFAS levels above drinking water standards in seven wells.
At its worst, its cyclone height was 2 to 3 times higher than the higher levels on the southern edge of the base and was rising steadily, although another nearby cyclone returned to a lower level.
The 200-page report, written by the Ministry of Defence and regional council advisers, said: “Monitoring results for November 2023 are within historical ranges.”
Ohakea Air Force Base
photo: RNZ/Richard Tindiller
The tests also found it in some places for the first time.
The main plume extends one kilometer southwest from the base, covering public and private land. The Ministry of Defense has purchased at least one neighboring contaminated farm for a high price.
2019 ReportThe project, funded by the Defence Force, said in a worst-case scenario the plume would persist for more than a century and spread at a rate of 50 to 100 metres per year.
Defence said PFAS were also present in groundwater near the Devonport and Wainuapai defence bases, although “groundwater from these bases discharges directly into the sea at the Waitemata Harbour” and was not monitored.
Testing is continuing at another contaminated site, Woodburn near Blenheim. RNZ has requested the results.
The defence force faces funding constraints in upgrading its facilities Ohakea Ice and Snow Resort to be upgraded with $200 million.
But it said the restrictions “will not impact PFAS monitoring, water supply or wastewater upgrades at camps and bases.”
Global testing shows that nearly every person on the planet has at least trace amounts of PFAS in their blood.
Cleaning chemicals out of water costs a lot of money. In the United States, major polluter 3M has agreed to pay up to $20 billion to settle claims from about 12,000 public water systems across the country.
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