Representatives from several levels of the United States Air Force had little to say last week in response to an Airway Heights letter demanding nearly $47 million in damages because of the 2017 contamination of its water supply.
Fairchild personnel originally referred queries seeking a response to the letter to the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) in San Antonio, Texas, which has played a large part in water testing and other contamination-related activities on the West Plains.
AFCEC spokesperson Mark Kinkade said he was not personally aware of any claims and that the Air Force does not typically comment on claims while they are being reviewed.
This was reiterated by Sgt. Travis Edwards with Fairchild Air Force Base Public Affairs, who referred all questions on the matter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and said the Air Force cannot identify anyone who files claims due to privacy concerns.
“We can say claims involving water contamination are reviewed at Fairchild for completeness, then forwarded to higher headquarters for a decision in accordance with Air Force regulations,” Edwards said in an email. “We will continue to work with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and local regulatory agencies to resolve this issue.”
Kelly Laco with the Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs said in an email that “DOJ declines to comment.”
On Thursday, May 2, the city of Airway Heights sent a notice and demand of payment of claims to Fairchild, Air Force and Department of Defense officials, requesting damages for costs incurred due to water contamination caused by Fairchild firefighting foam.
That letter says the Air Force used this foam for almost 50 years — from 1970 to 2016 — for training events and aircraft crash responses. According to the letter, “the Air Force has identified five particular locations at Fairchild that may be sources of PFAS contamination.”
Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].
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