Photo By Senior Airman Bridgitte Taylor | Representatives from local, state and federal agencies engage with Prince George’s...... read more read more
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CLINTON, Md. — Joint Base Andrews and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center held a public conversation on April 29, at the Surratts-Clinton Branch Library to engage with Prince George’s County residents about ongoing environmental restoration efforts and the base’s commitment to addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contamination.
The event also brought together local, state and federal agencies, offering residents an opportunity to learn about and ask questions regarding PFAS-related activities in the region.
“This purpose of this event is to come together with our neighbors to demonstrate what we at Joint Base Andrews are doing about PFAS, and answer any questions our community might have,” said Col. Mindy Davitch, 316th Mission Support Group commander. “Because this is a holistic issue, we're here alongside our partners from various regional and federal agencies agencies to engage on any community concerns.”
Representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Maryland Department of the Environment, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and Prince George’s County joined base officials to provide information on PFAS, remediation efforts and next steps. Attendees also heard updates from Joint Base Andrews Environmental Restoration Program and the AFCEC.
The event was part of the Air Force's on-going initiative to inform and address public concerns about PFAS exposure that may be associated with the installation's past use of aqueous film forming foam.
Remedial investigations at Andrews, the Brandywine Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office sites have been underway since 2023, focusing on soil, surface water, and groundwater testing to determine the extent of PFAS contamination. The base has already transitioned to a fluorine-free firefighting foam and removed PFAS-based materials from its emergency response vehicles.
At the event, AFCEC highlighted a proposal for Fiscal Year 2026 for a water treatment system to combat PFAS exposure from Andrews into Piscataway Creek. As the lead agency for the Air Force, AFCEC manages the Air Force environmental and restoration programs at Andrews and other installations.
“This project would be a stop gap to prevent any more contamination flowing out of the headwaters of Piscataway Creek and then further down the community,” said LeRoy Demarest, AFCEC’s interim remedial project manager for Andrews. “Water from the main part of the creek would flow through, and most likely a granulated, activated carbon or a resin will just filter that PFAS out and then put the water back in the creek.”
Beyond information about Andrews, community members were able to ask questions of other officials about drinking water, the safety of eating fish and the status of various sites’ contamination levels.
The information session, which included scientists and subject matter experts at posters addressing a variety of issues, was intended to answer as many questions as possible.
Officials acknowledged community concerns and recommitted to continued transparency, providing regular updates through public meetings, rigorous engagement with environmental regulators and the Joint Base Andrews environmental webpage.
“I think was fantastic to see members of the community turn out--they could stop and talk to each one of us and ask us questions,” Davitch said. “We also provided the opportunity for them to submit comments and concerns for us to take away. This is truly a team effort, as we are all a part of the community. This issue is complex, so it is important we continue to work together, from the EPA to Maryland state and county government to local activist groups.”
For more information about Joint Base Andrews’ environmental restoration efforts, visit www.jba.af.mil/About/Environmental-Mission.
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2025 16:57 |
| Story ID: | 496621 |
| Location: | CLINTON, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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