Fort Liberty PFAS Page

 

Explore this web page to learn more about how the Army is addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at Fort Liberty.  

Attention: If you live within a one-mile radius of Fort Liberty, NC, in one of the areas of interest, and own a private well used for drinking water, please join the Army for an Open House to discuss testing of privately owned wells on July 25 from 5-7 p.m. at the Spring Lake Town Hall

The U.S. Army is investigating releases of certain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. These substances may be present in soil and/or groundwater at Army installations from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), which was used as a firefighting agent at airfields, beginning in the 1970s. PFAS is also found in many common household products.

A site inspection on Fort Liberty in 2022 found several locations where groundwater beneath Pope Army Airfield, Simmons Army Airfield, and other on-post areas of interest had PFOA/PFOS concentrations. Since some of these areas were close to the Fort Liberty boundary, the Army decided to test nearby off-post drinking water wells that could be affected by Army operations.

The Army identified multiple drinking water wells to be sampled adjacent to Fort Liberty, all in Cumberland and Moore Counties. All the wells belong to private owners, serving single residences. The results of the sampling were shared with the well owners and with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). None of the wells tested to date have shown levels above DoD policy thresholds. 

The Army is continuing to investigate wells that may show signs of PFAS from it's past activities.. That includes testing more off-post wells to better understand the current situation. You may receive a mailer from the Army that requests testing of private drinking wells on your property.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently updated their standards for PFOS and PFOA. The Army is assessing the guidance and will continue to follow Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) guidance. A Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection (PA/SI) has been completed at Fort Liberty. The next CERCLA phase, a Remedial Investigation (RI), is scheduled to begin in 2024. The Army works closely with appropriate state and federal agencies to address PFAS concerns. We are committed to identifying the scope of the issue through additional testing of private drinking wells in the areas of interest. When testing is complete, we will publish those results.

Media inquiries must contact Army Environmental Command Public Affairs Office (PAO) at usarmy.jbsa.imcom-aec.mbx.public-mailbox@army.mil

Questions and Answers

How do you know your drinking water is safe?

The Army continues to show drinking water supplied by installation wells is below DoD policy thresholds. Testing of Fort Liberty supplied water will continue into the future.

Most on post customer's drinking water is served by Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) or Harnett Regional Water, who provide a Water Quality Report with detailed information about sampling efforts and any substances detected in their water supply. https://www.faypwc.com/water-quality-report/ and https://www.harnettwater.org/

Neighbors who are served by an off-post water supplier can contact their water supplier for a copy of the Water Quality Report, which provides detailed information about sampling efforts and any substances detected in water.  Contact your local provider for more information. 

For private wells surrounding the installation, see Q2.

Is any drinking water impacted by PFAS due to Army operations here?

Results of testing of private wells surrounding the installation that were believed to potentially contain PFAS due to Army operations had either no detectable concentrations of the PFOS or PFOA compounds or a concentration below the DoD policy in Fall 2023. However, now with the newly published EPA final rule on drinking water standards for certain PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), The Army is beginning the more comprehensive investigation that will characterize site conditions, establish the full nature and extent of PFAS in groundwater and any other impacted resources, and evaluate site-specific risks to human health and the environment.

What about my house? When is the Army going to test my well?

The Army is committed to identifying, evaluating, and addressing impacts resulting from its activities to ensure the health and safety of the communities in which we serve.  The Army is taking a proactive, measured approach to sampling off-base wells. During the site inspection phase and throughout the cleanup process, the Army will assess whether drinking water wells may be impacted by Army PFAS releases. If the CERCLA investigation indicates your well might be impacted, the Army could then request to sample the well. 

While you are investigating on-site and prior to my drinking water well results, can I drink the water?

Because the Army doesn't currently have any information to suggest that any private well not already sampled by the Army contains PFAS, or at what level, we can’t make a recommendation until we know more about the potential release of PFAS off post.  For more information, talk to your local health department or physician or visit https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/past-pfoa-and-pfos-health-effects-science-documents

What is the Army doing for people with drinking water above DoD policy levels?

If validated results show that drinking water contains PFOS/PFOA above the DoD policy, the Army will provide an alternate water supply at no cost to the user until a long-term solution is implemented.