Bulk fuel facility's third extraction well to be activated soon

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  • By Argen Duncan
  • Nucleus editor
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The Kirtland Air Force Base fuel spill cleanup is close to activating a third extraction well and starting pilot projects to feed the bacteria breaking down the underground contamination, project leaders said.

KAFB cleanup program manager Kathryn Lynnes and New Mexico Environment Department hydrologist Diane Agnew gave an update on the effort during the Kirtland Partnership Committee annual breakfast at Embassy Suites in Albuquerque Jan. 12.

The fuel plume leaked into the soil from the old Kirtland bulk fuels facility. The leak was discovered in the 1990s.

The cleanup is in the site assessment and characterization phase to learn the nature and size of the site in order to treat it, Lynnes said. The RCRA facility investigation report and risk assessment is scheduled to begin late this year, but interim remediation measures are already under way.

The cleanup effort removed thousands of tons of contaminated soil, hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel vapor and millions of gallons of polluted water, according to the Air Force and NMED.

Lynnes said the project's third extraction well, which pumps out contaminated water to be cleaned, would go online by the end of this month. Agnew said two more would be installed south of Gibson Boulevard this year.

She said the extraction wells have pulled the fuel plume back toward the base even better than expected.

"The big message I want to be sure everybody walks away with is the drinking water is safe," she said.

The treated water from extraction wells, which is clean enough to meet drinking water standards, has been going to the golf course for irrigation.

The base is applying for a groundwater discharge permit from the state to use the water for dust suppression and injection back into the aquifer as well, Lynnes said. With a temporary permit in hand, a pilot re-injection project can start soon.

Also, Agnew said the project has 134 monitoring wells to define the extent of the fuel plume and one observation well to indicate how well the extraction wells are working. She expects to add another four monitoring wells to define the final unknown corner of the plume.

From April to December of last year, Agnew said, project leaders did a test to measure the biodegradation of the fuel plume and find "hot spots." Workers took frequent measurements during that time.

"And we needed to do that to get to the next step," Agnew said.

The testing indicated underground bacteria were doing a better job of cleaning up the fuel than extraction wells were, she said. So, this year, she is planning two pilot projects: One to slowly inject oxygen into the bacteria's environment and another to inject nutrients and sulfate.

Agnew expects both projects to encourage bacteria to grow and consume more of the fuel plume.

Lynnes said public outreach is the most important part of the project.

"We're part of this community," she said. "We want to protect the water supply of the largest city in the state."

Agnew said several public meetings and field trips are planned for this year. She said she knows wells impact homes and businesses, with noise, heavy equipment, portable toilets, etc., from drilling and operation.

"The residents have been incredibly kind and gracious," Agnew said.