EPA deems Wright-Patt groundwater status ‘not under control’

PFAS are commonly used, long lasting chemicals which break down very slowly.

The notification came after the EPA published new “maximum contaminant levels” or “MCLs” for PFAS (sometimes called “forever chemicals”) in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for two of the chemicals, PFOA and PFOS.

The new EPA levels for PFAS became effective in June.

“The EPA has also changed the Superfund Groundwater Migration EI (environmental indicator) from Contaminated Groundwater Migration Under Control (GMUC) to Contaminated Groundwater Migration Not Under Control (GMNC),” said the letter from Syed Quadri, a remedial project manager in the EPA’s Superfund and Emergency Management Division.

Wright-Patterson has been considered an EPA Superfund site — a site where long-term clean-up efforts are deemed necessary — since the late 1980s, said Jared Hayes, a senior policy analyst for the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit advocacy group that has long followed how the military responds to PFAS chemicals.

“It’s important for people to know,” Hayes said of the change in Wright-Patterson’s status.

“Concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) were detected in groundwater, currently being provided to the Area B public water systems (STU 2 Building 20453, STU 1 Building 20085A),” the U.S. EPA said in e-mailed responses to questions from the Dayton Daily News.

Area B is one of the base’s areas, home to many Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center offices, as well as the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, among other missions and offices.

Wright-Patterson has always maintained the drinking water in that part of the military installation is safe to drink.

“These concentrations are above the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) maximum contaminant levels (MCLs)," the EPA said.

Last spring, the EPA announced new MCLs, or regulatory floors, for the chemicals.

There are no penalties involved with the new designation, an EPA spokeswoman told this newspaper.

But the agency rescinded what it calls the “sitewide ready for anticipated use” or “SWRAU” designation for the base.

“SWRAU” is an agency term indicating that a Superfund cleanup site has reached a stage where cleanup goals have been met for current and “reasonably anticipated” land uses.

“Prior to this, they said their cleanup of contamination was under control,” Hayes said. “Now, they have to go back and say, ‘It’s not under control anymore. We need to reopen this up and continue to address the problem.‘”

Recently, Wright-Patterson environmental professionals said they launched a five-year review of environmental work at the base.

A final report is expected to be made public in December, the base said.

“That (the base’s new designation) will likely come up in the next five-year review,” Hayes said.

In September, members of the city of Dayton’s Environmental Advisory Board asked the EPA to take emergency action with the base to confront PFAS contamination in ground water.

“Wright-Patt needs to do their part in cleaning up their PFAS issues associated with the groundwater,” Kathy Arnett, chair of the Environmental Advisory Board, said last year.

The Dayton Daily News requested an interview with Crocker, the remedial project manager to whom the EPA’s letter was addressed.

A spokeswoman for the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson gave this newspaper a statement, saying, “The recent updates to the environmental indicator status reflect changes in how the EPA reports and tracks this information. As you are aware, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has been proactively addressing water quality concerns and collaborating closely with our community partners. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and clean environment both on and off base, and we will continue our efforts to remediate any PFAS issues moving forward.”

Base officials in the past have said the Air Force is taking action.

“We live in the communities we serve, and we share community concerns about the possible impacts our firefighting operations may have on human drinking water sources,” base officials told this newspaper last year. “The Department of the Air Force is working with the Dayton community and regulators to ensure PFAS that may be associated with our mission activities does not pose a risk to drinking water supplies.”