Military Bases Are Rife With ‘Forever Chemicals.’ New Mexico Wants Them Cleaned Up.
Decades of Military Contamination. New Mexico Asks for the Bill. The Wait Begins.
What Happened
New Mexico is pursuing action to compel cleanup of PFAS ("forever chemicals") contamination at military bases within the state. These synthetic compounds, used extensively in firefighting foam on military installations since the 1970s, have leached into groundwater near bases nationwide. The contamination affects drinking water sources for communities living near these installations.
Historical Context
This is not a new problem — it is a new chapter in a very old one. The U.S. military began using PFAS-laden aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) in the late 1960s. By 2022, the Department of Defense had identified over 700 military sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination across the country. New Mexico joins dozens of states — including Michigan, Colorado, and North Carolina — that have already been fighting similar battles for years, some since the early 2000s. Congress passed the PFAS Action Act in 2021, and the EPA set enforceable drinking water limits for PFAS in 2024 for the first time. Cleanup timelines at Superfund sites historically run 10–30 years. The science is settled; the bureaucracy is not.
What's In Your Control
Whether you know if your own drinking water is affected — the EPA's "My Water's Health" tool and EWG's Tap Water Database let you check by zip code. Whether you filter your tap water (PFAS are significantly reduced by reverse osmosis and some activated carbon filters). Whether you contact your own state representatives if you live near a military base.
Does This Require Action?
If you live near a U.S. military installation, this warrants awareness and a five-minute check of your local water quality data. If you don't, this is useful background on a slow-moving national issue. No urgent action required for most readers.
Source: NY Times
