Kirtland officials submit fuel plume report Published April 10, 2014 By Lee Ross Nucleus editor KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Kirtland has taken a major step toward implementing corrective measures to deal with the fuel plume. On March 31, Kirtland submitted to the New Mexico Environment Department its Resource Conservation and Recovery Act facility investigation report, or RFI, on the groundwater and the vadose zone (the soil above the groundwater). The reports fulfill RCRA's strictly defined permit requirements and describe the nature and extent of what are called contaminants of concern, or COCs. When the time comes to remediate the spill, the reports will help inform Kirtland's plan. There are 21 COCs identified and which the Air Force will deal with, according to the report. Contaminants from the spill include benzenes, toluenes, ethyl-benzenes and xylenes, sometimes called BTEX, as well as ethylene-dibromide, or EDB. KAFB is working with local and state regulators to address the problem. The fuel leak was discovered at the base's bulk fuels facility in 1999. The leak likely existed for decades before being discovered. Due to the complex geology in the area of the fuel spill, evidence of fuel product in the groundwater was not discovered until January 2007, according to Scott Clark, one of a number of environmental engineers working to resolve the issue. The Air Force did not know that fuel was in the water table until samples were taken from an investigatory groundwater-monitoring well about two city blocks east of the bulk fuels facility. The facility investigation report states that groundwater levels within the Rio Grande basin aquifer declined for over half a century, with the majority of the decline, about 100 feet, happening since 1975. As a result of more recent conservation practices, water levels have risen approximately 7.5 to 10 feet since 2009. That adds a layer of complexity when it comes to treating what is known as the light non-aqueous phase liquid, or LNAPL, according to Clark. LNAPL tends to float on top of the water in the aquifer, he said, but it has been covered with water due to Albuquerque's conservation efforts. "As groundwater levels have risen, LNAPL thickness above the groundwater has progressively decreased." according to the groundwater RFI zone report. Based on groundwater transport modeling, the fuel source reached the groundwater around 1980. Measurements have shown that the plume is in the neighborhood of 6 million gallons, but the true volume is unknown. Models from the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, New Mexico Environment Department and Kirtland all indicate it will be several decades or more before the contaminants reach drinking water wells. Col. Jeff Lanning, 377th Mission Support Group commander, said city residents should know that their drinking water is and will continue to be safe. "The fuel plume has the attention of the Air Force. We own the problem and we're committed to do our part to maintain the safe drinking water for the city of Albuquerque. We have a tremendous team that works hard on the issue every day," he said. Clark said the final remediation plan will include a combination of technologies, but what those technologies will be has not yet been decided. Col. Tom Miller, 377th Air Base Wing commander, said this report marks significant progress. "This is a very important step toward getting a final remedy in place," Miller said.