Air Force has spent $125M cleaning up Kirtland jet fuel spill

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Air Force says it has spent $125 million so far cleaning up thousands of tons of soil and millions of gallons of water contaminated by jet fuel at a base bordering New Mexico’s largest city.

Air Force Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Correll briefed Albuquerque water utility managers on the project at Kirtland Air Force Base during a meeting last week.

The Albuquerque Journal reports Correll also reiterated the Air Force’s commitment to the clean-up. He said drinking water wells are tested monthly and no contamination has been found.

RELATED

Air Force must do more to clean up jet fuel at Kirtland, New Mexico regulators say

The U.S. Air Force has excavated thousands of tons of soil and treated millions of gallons of water contaminated by jet fuel at a base bordering New Mexico’s largest city, but state regulators say the military still has more cleanup to do.

The fuel leak — believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades — was detected in 1999.

While state and military officials say drinking wells are protected, community watchdogs are pushing for an independent review of the cleanup.

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