Water contamination town hall set

CLOVIS — A town hall with officials and experts regarding the recent water contamination from Cannon Air Force Base is scheduled for Friday evening in Clovis, according to a news release Tuesday.

The event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library, and will involve “subject matter experts” from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, the FDA, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the state’s departments of the Environment, Agriculture and Health.

Those officials “will provide information and answer questions” regarding the “ongoing efforts to identity and address perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water sources around (the base).”

The release said the Air Force has identified three locations exceeding the EPA’s health advisory among 25 water sources sampled near the base’s southeast corner, and that officials are “providing drinking water at those locations and will work with property owners to determine a long-term solution.”

Last month the state’s Environment Department advised the potentially carcinogenic chemicals were affiliated with past military firefighting activities and recommended residents near the base’s southeast corner have their wells tested and only use bottled wated for drinking and cooking.