Shaheen Urges Air Force to Test More Wells

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is urging the U.S. Air Force to conduct additional well water tests in Portsmouth after a well that serves Pease International Tradeport tested positive for a drinking water contaminant known as perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.

Shaheen sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on June 11 expressing concerns about the contaminant levels found in the Pease well – a well that was immediately shut down.

More testing should be conducted to "insure that any private well in the vicinity is safe," according to Shaheen.

"The City of Portsmouth will face a significant financial challenge in replacing the Haven Well as a supply source," Shaheen writes in the letter. "Given that the former Pease Air Force Base is a Superfund site and that the firefighter foam the Air Force used at the base contained PFCs, I would urge the Department of the Air Force to include in the draft Memorandum of Understanding the provisions [Portsmouth City Manager John] Bohenko outlines in his letter to [the Air Force’s BRAC Program Management Division Chief]."

Pease Air Force Base closed about a quarter of a century ago. The redeveloped base is often lauded as a world-class business park, but part of Pease is a Superfund site for the Air Force's past hazardous wastes.

The PFCs contamination is believed to be a result of the foam using in firefighting apparatus during the Air Force days.

In her letter, Shaheen notes that the Environmental Protection Agency classifies the PFCs as an "emerging contaminant" that may pose an adverse effect for human health.

Read 19 FAQ on PFCs