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Pollution Not Found in Dover Air Force Base Drinking Water

dover.af.mil

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) - Officials at Dover Air Force Base say chemical compounds used in firefighting foam have been found at four sites on base, but not in drinking water supply wells.

Officials said Monday that an investigation detected perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, in shallow groundwater and some surface drainage ditches in levels above Environmental Protection Agency recommended limits. They noted that the base obtains drinking water from a deep confined groundwater aquifer that is isolated from the aquifer where the contaminants were found.

Officials say the contaminants are being managed under federal environmental standards and that a preliminary assessment and site inspection will be done this year to identify any remaining locations were PFCs may have been released to the environment.

A decision will then be made on whether cleanup actions are necessary.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.