Fargo Air Base participating in military-wide environmental assessment

FARGO, ND, UNITED STATES

03.18.2016

Courtesy Story

North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs

FARGO, N.D. - The North Dakota Air National Guard's base near Hector International Airport, here, is one of more than 600 military installations that will be assessed in the coming months for possible environmental concerns related to a foam used to fight fires.

The installation was recently listed as one of many Department of Defense sites where military firefighters have taken part in aviation fire and crash training. While no environmental risks have been identified to date, the base, home to the 119th Wing, known as the Happy Hooligans, will participate in ongoing environmental safety evaluations as a precaution.

"It's a goal of ours to act as effective stewards of our resources," said Col. Kent Olson, 119th Wing commander. "That includes ensuring that we're doing our part to protect the environment, just as we continue to protect local communities and our nation."

Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) has been used around the world as a highly effective fire suppressant known to rapidly extinguish hydrocarbon fuel fires, like those that may flare up as a result of a plane crash or aircraft hangar fire. Some legacy AFFF formulations contained chemical compounds known as Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) that present potential human health and environmental risks.

Even though there are currently no federal mandates regarding PFCs, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state and local regulators to address any possible PFC contamination at current and former Air Force installation sites. Air Force guidance is to identify possible PFC releases, assess any potential for human exposure, and, when necessary, take action to protect human health.

"The Air National Guard is moving ahead with a preliminary assessment at more than 60 bases to identify the extent of AFFF use at each base, where it is stored, and any potential for exposure to groundwater," said 1st Lt. Brent Nasset, N.D. Air National Guard environmental manager. "The 119th Wing is currently in the early stages of this process. A consultant has met with the fire department and performed a field visit to identify any potential areas of concern and to plan next steps for sampling these areas."

Nasset said that the initial assessment by the consultant has been completed, and there are no indications of accidental releases of AFFF. Also, there have been no major aircraft fire response efforts that required use of the foam.

"The amount of AFFF used on the base has been minimal, and it has been primarily for training or hanger fire suppression system maintenance requirements," Nasset said. "Additionally, the clay soil that exists in much of the Fargo area helps restrict movement of surface water to groundwater sources. As a result, the risk of groundwater contamination caused by AFFF at the 119th Wing is likely very low. We will continue to update the public as the studies move forward."

• Date Taken: 03.18.2016
• Date Posted: 03.18.2016 16:51
• Story ID: 192903
• Location: FARGO, ND, US