Fort Hunter Liggett
Welcome to the fort. Be careful of the water.
Fort Hunter Liggett, named after General Hunter Liggett in 1941, is a United States Army fort in southern Monterey County, California, about 250 miles (400 km) north of Los Angeles and 150 miles (240 km) south of San Francisco. The fort is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuvers and live fire exercises are performed.
The drinking water at Hunter Liggett contained 120 ppt of PFOS when tested in 2017. (See below for testing in 2018.) The well has been taken offline because it exceeded the EPA’s Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt. California’s new limit for PFOS will be 6.5 ppt on January 1, 2020, meaning the water on base was 18 times more contaminated.
The base anticipates having enough volume with 3 operational wells & presumes no need to move forward with additional mitigation and/or Granular Activated Charcoal (GAC) treatment for drinking water.
We don’t know the extent of the contamination in the 3 other wells, just that they were under 70 ppt. Without treatment, consumers might be drinking tainted water.
Source: Addressing Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Maureen Sullivan Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Environment, Safety & Occupational Health) March 2018
The drinking water at Hunter Liggett contained 120 ppt of PFOS when tested in 2017. (See below for testing in 2018.) The well has been taken offline because it exceeded the EPA’s Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt. California’s new limit for PFOS will be 6.5 ppt on January 1, 2020, meaning the water on base was 18 times more contaminated.
The base anticipates having enough volume with 3 operational wells & presumes no need to move forward with additional mitigation and/or Granular Activated Charcoal (GAC) treatment for drinking water.
We don’t know the extent of the contamination in the 3 other wells, just that they were under 70 ppt. Without treatment, consumers might be drinking tainted water.
Source: Addressing Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Maureen Sullivan Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Environment, Safety & Occupational Health) March 2018
Data released by the Army through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show PFAS contamination detected at 235.00 parts per trillion (ppt) in tests of drinking water at Fort Hunter Liggett in 2018. Six carcinogens were found in the water: PFBS, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFHxA, PFOS, and PFOA
(See the complete list across the country.)
Extremely low doses of PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, harm to the reproductive and immune systems, thyroid disease and other health problems. Harvard health professionals say 1 ppt of the substances may be harmful.
“There are currently no Army personnel or families drinking water with levels of PFOS/PFOA above the Lifetime Health Advisory, (LHA)” the Army told the Environmental Working Group in August, 2019.
The EPA’s LHA for PFAS is set at 70 ppt while California’s Division of Drinking Water has established Notification Levels at 6.5 parts per trillion for PFOS and 5.1 parts per trillion for PFOA, two types of PFAS chemicals. Firefighting foams made with PFAS and long used on military installations are a major source of PFAS contamination.
(See the complete list across the country.)
Extremely low doses of PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, harm to the reproductive and immune systems, thyroid disease and other health problems. Harvard health professionals say 1 ppt of the substances may be harmful.
“There are currently no Army personnel or families drinking water with levels of PFOS/PFOA above the Lifetime Health Advisory, (LHA)” the Army told the Environmental Working Group in August, 2019.
The EPA’s LHA for PFAS is set at 70 ppt while California’s Division of Drinking Water has established Notification Levels at 6.5 parts per trillion for PFOS and 5.1 parts per trillion for PFOA, two types of PFAS chemicals. Firefighting foams made with PFAS and long used on military installations are a major source of PFAS contamination.
Army Fort Hunter Liggett was also found to have 330 parts per trillion of PFAS in drinking water.
One well exceeded the EPA's Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt and has been taken offline.
A treatment system will be installed on that well if it is needed in the future.
Aqueous Film Forming Foam to Congress, October, 2017
rt Hunter Liggett - Source - DOD
2 Active Sites
.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
Contaminated Ground Waterite ID: FTHE-002-R-01
ARTILLERY RANGE (TD) NO. 2
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
MANEUVER AND BIVOUAC AREA
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
PRACTICE BOMBING RANGE 1
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
BOMBING RANGE 2 NORTH
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
PRACTICE BOMBING RANGE 2
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
2 Active Sites
.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
Contaminated Ground Waterite ID: FTHE-002-R-01
ARTILLERY RANGE (TD) NO. 2
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
MANEUVER AND BIVOUAC AREA
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
PRACTICE BOMBING RANGE 1
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
BOMBING RANGE 2 NORTH
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
PRACTICE BOMBING RANGE 2
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
Fort Hunter Liggett Utility Details
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA2710702
Monterey County, California Serves: 5,500 Data available: 2012—2017
Source: Groundwater
Contaminants Detected 8 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
18 Total Contaminants
Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA2710702
Monterey County, California Serves: 5,500 Data available: 2012—2017
Source: Groundwater
Contaminants Detected 8 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
18 Total Contaminants
Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
The California Water Board did not test Fort Hunter Liggett's water for PFOS/PFOA in 2019.
DoD's Installation Restoration Program (IRP) Sites that have not Achieved Response Complete (RC) January 2018
https://www.denix.osd.mil/derp/home/documents/installation-restoration-program-report-to-congress-january-2018/
Key: DERA - Defense Environmental Restoration Account funds
Army California FORT HUNTER LIGGETT DERA FTHE-28 BLDG 194 - OLD POL FACILITY 201708 0 1
93928 Jolon Lockwood
