Chemicals from U.S. Army Training Center Contaminated Wells of Nearby Yakima Residents

Army officials recently held a public meeting to inform residents of Yakima, WA that chemicals from the Army training center have contaminated domestic wells. According to Stars and Stripes, “the contamination possibly stems from a foam forming fire suppressant used to extinguish petroleum fires once used at the training center.” Although the use of this fire suppressant ceased in 2014, PFAS from the suppressant remain in the environment for a long time and have been found in testing of the wells.

The training center is giving affected residents bottled water while plans are developed for cleanup. The Washinston state departments of Ecology, Agriculture, Health are also involved in determining the best course of action for cleanup.

Report Shows Delaware is Among Worst in Nation in Terms of Miles of Polluted Waterways

The Clean Water Act at 50 report was released this month, and Delaware rivers and streams are some of the worst in the country. According to Delaware Online, “the Environmental Integrity Project claims 97% of Delaware rivers and streams are too polluted for both water recreation and aquatic life.”

The report shows that approximately 1,901 miles of the 4,470 miles of rivers and streams in Delaware “are too ‘impaired’ for any type of use.” The EPA states that most of the contamination can be attributed to "polluted runoff from farms and suburban and urban areas.”

Residents of Wisconsin Petition EPA for Superfund Designation Due to PFAS Pollution

Residents of the Town of Peshtigo in Wisconsin have filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency “that requests a preliminary assessment of the suspected release of hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law.” Wisconsin Public Radio reports that nearly 140 residents of the community are currently relying on bottled water because of PFAS contamination of private wells. This contamination was caused by a nearby fire training facility that has not completely complied with state regulations for cleanup.

Boil Water Advisory Issued for Parts of Texas, Georgia, & Ohio

The city of Atlanta, Texas was put under a boil water advisory earlier in the week due to severe weather that damaged water infrastructure. A paper mill water plant is the only source of water for the city, and extremely high winds caused damage that temporarily shut it down. Eventually, the plant was brought back online and water pressure was restored. After testing water samples found no contaminants, the boil water advisory was lifted.

A boil water advisory was issued for part of Forsyth County, Georgia this week after a water service line break. Crews flushed the line and then sent samples for testing, and the boil water advisory has now been rescinded.

A water main break on a main road in Warren County, Ohio led to a boil water advisory in the area. The road remains open while workers attempt to fix the break. Samples will need to be taken and tested before the advisory is lifted.