Secretary Ferguson visits with local officials about fuel spill Published July 2, 2014 By Capt. Erin Dorrance 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Kathleen Ferguson, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, traveled to Albuquerque and Santa Fe this week to discuss cleanup efforts for Kirtland's fuel spill. Her two-day visit included an in-depth tour of the fuel spill site, as well as meetings with Congresswoman Michelle Lujan-Grisham, staff members from Senator Tom Udall and Senator Martin Heinrich's offices, the governor's chief of staff, the New Mexico environment secretary, Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority officials and community members. Ferguson's meetings allowed her to hear more feedback from community members and to reiterate the Air Force's commitment to fully remediate this issue. "We regret that the fuel spill ever happened," Ferguson said. "Albuquerque's drinking water is safe, and the Air Force is fully committed to provide the funding necessary to address the fuel spill clean up." "The Air Force has submitted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigation report to the New Mexico Environment Department and we anticipate a response from NMED this summer," she said. "Once approval is received, the Air Force will move forward with the Corrective Measures Evaluation portion which will provide options for the final cleanup solution. " While Kirtland waits for approval, the base is moving forward with interim measures to remediate the contaminated area and is making progress. To date, more than 3 million pounds of hydrocarbons have been removed, said Col. Tom Miller, 377th Air Base Wing commander. Additionally, on June 30 the base completed and turned on the interim treatment system for the Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid and dissolved phase treatment per an agreement between the Air Force and NMED. "This pilot project will provide valuable information to help formulate the final remediation plan," Miller said. The next phase of the base's interim treatment plan, after soil-vapor extraction and the air sparging action, is a pilot pump-and-treat project directly attacking the expanded treatment of the ethylene dibromide portion of the plume. This phase of remediation is targeted for implementation by the end of the year. Ferguson is taking feedback that she received from her visit back to the Pentagon, and will ensure the fuel spill is cleaned up as quickly as possible. "The Air Force and Kirtland Air Force Base are responsible stewards of the environment, and we will make this right," Ferguson said.