Kirtland continues to make progress in fuel plume cleanup

  • Published
  • By Lee Ross
  • Nucleus editor
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  A public information meeting about the Kirtland Air Force Base fuel spill cleanup was held July 23 at the African American Performing Arts Center on the grounds of Expo New Mexico.

Representatives of the Air Force, the New Mexico Environmental Department, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and the city of Albuquerque were on hand to give an update on the cleanup project and respond to questions from the public.

Originating in fuel storage tanks at Kirtland, the leak is believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades before it was discovered in 1999.

Dennis McQuillan, a geologist with the New Mexico Environment Department, said he and other scientists involved have a good idea of where the fuel plume is and that contaminants will not reach the drinking water.

"We are going to track it down and intercept it and pump it before it gets to the wells," he said. "I promise you that."

The cleanup project's first extraction well, at 6200 Gibson SE, started pulling water tainted by the spill out of the ground on June 4.

That well has removed 1.1 million gallons of water and treated 692 milligrams of ethylene dibromide, or EDB, one of the contaminants of concern in the spill.

That's according to Adria Bodour of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and chief scientist for the Bulk Fuels Facility cleanup project.

There have also been a number of laboratory tests to guide other treatment methods, including introducing microbes to samples.

"I love microbes," Bodour said. "They are my friends."

By finding out which microbes do the best job of treating EDB and other contaminants, Bodour hopes to halt the spread of the contaminant by creating a "zone of happiness."

Although all the contaminants are spreading at a very slow rate, Bodour noted that EDB was found farther out than other contaminants.

"We do not want any more EDB migrating. We want to close the loop by treating it at the source," she said.

Two additional extraction wells are slated for drilling this year and more are scheduled for drilling in 2016.

Bodour said, although there were just a handful of speakers at the meeting, there is a lot going on behind the scenes to solve a very complex problem.

"There is a whole team of people doing an awesome job," she said.