New Mexico

New Mexico wants feds to pay for PFAS cleanup at Holloman Air Force Base – Carlsbad Current-Argus

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1 year ago

July 11, 2024

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New Mexico wants feds to pay for PFAS cleanup at Holloman Air Force Base – Carlsbad Current-Argus

Amended complaint targets water pollution at bases throughout state

Adrian Hedden

Carlsbad Current-Argus

New Mexico officials want the federal government to pay millions of dollars for cleaning up pollution from “forever chemicals” secreted by Air Forces bases throughout the state, now including Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range.

The New Mexico Attorney General amended its complaint to add Holloman and White Sands as contaminated areas, along with Kirtland Air Force near Albuquerque. Previously Cannon Air Force Base was the only contamination site included in the suit.

The amendments also added the Department of Defense and Air Force as defendants, along with companies 3M and DuPont which produced per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the chemicals at the center of the suit.

The State also called for a court to award costs, damages and other financial relief to New Mexico from the federal government, based on new regulations enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA recently added several PFAS to its list of hazardous substances that could warrant federal cleanup under the “superfund” statute.

The state’s complaint detailed about $16.7 million in incurred and estimated future expenses it said were tied to the Department of Defense’s PFAS contamination at all three Air Force bases, Fort Wingate near Gallup and in communities in Otero and Curry counties.

The Air Force did not respond to a request for comment.

New Mexico holding feds ‘accountable’ for PFAS

PFAS were first produced in the 1940s and were widely used in the decades since. They are believed contained in firefighting foam used at the bases but were also tied to myriad products and processes including cookware and oil and gas drilling.

Long-term exposure, often through water supplies, was known to cause cancer, liver damage and other health problems in people. Other impacts were found in nearby wildlife, reducing hatch rates in birds.

Plaintiffs in New Mexico’s PFAS case against the federal government were the New Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee and the New Mexico Department of Justice.

“For over five years, the U.S. Department of Defense failed to take accountability for PFAS clean-up in New Mexico – leaving New Mexicans with a legacy of toxic PFAS pollution to shoulder,” said NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney in a statement.

“Thanks to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s science-driven leadership on PFAS, New Mexico will now hold the U.S. Department of Defense accountable for the monetary costs of clean-up and damages to our environment.”

The amended filing made New Mexico the first state in the U.S. to seek damages from the Department of Defense under the EPA’s PFAS guidance, NMED reported, and was intended to see the DOD pay to clean up PFAS in both public and private water sources on or near the bases.

“PFAS has now contaminated freshwater aquifers on which the communities and hardworking people of New Mexico depend,” said New Mexico Natural Resources Trustee Maggie Hart Stebbins. “Our residents suffer when they can’t use that groundwater and it’s time for the federal government to compensate communities that are bearing the burden of its pollution.”

UNM study ties PFAS near Holloman to firefighting foam

PFAS levels near Holloman Air Force Base and around Alamogordo reached dangerous levels, according to a February report from the University of New Mexico, published in the journal Environmental Research.

A team of researchers from UNM’s Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) said there were “unexpectedly high levels” of PFAS contamination found in birds and mammals around the base in the Holloman Lake between the base and White Sands National Park. The lake is part of a fragile wetland system in the arid Tularosa Basin, part of a series of wastewater catchments ponds created by the Air Force.

“Because these large wetlands are the only ones in the region, they are immensely attractive to wildlife,” said MSB Director and biology professor Christopher Witt, a lead author of the study. “Holloman is one of the three most important wetlands in New Mexico for migratory waterbirds —over 100 species and tens of thousands of individuals use these habitats annually.

“The wetlands are also heavily used by people for recreation and hunting.”

The study pointed to the Air Force’s firefighting practices at the base as the main cause of contamination. The foam was widely used starting in 1970 for training, the report read, but was recently phased out of manufacturing. Runoff from the base when the foam was in use flowed into the catchment ponds, read the report, leaching into local groundwater sources.

The research team conducted more than 2,000 measurements of PFAS compounds in different species and tissue types, focusing on aquatic birds due to their heavy exposure to water and because they are sought by hunters. Desert rodents were also tested to see if animals could be contaminated without exposure to the water.

Both were found contaminated.

“There were differences among species in how much of each PFAS they contained, reflecting differences in their habitats, diet, and physiology,” said co-author of the study Chauncey Gadek, a Ph.D. student at UNM”s Department of Biology. “Ultimately, these differences illustrate the different paths by which PFAS can move through ecosystems and accumulate in various species, including people.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 734-972-6855, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.

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New Mexico

Sam Bregman says he would push for term limits for New Mexico lawmakers

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7 hours ago

November 21, 2025

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Sam Bregman says he would push for term limits for New Mexico lawmakers

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New Mexico

New Mexico’s Chaparral High School football team is making history

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2025

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New Mexico’s Chaparral High School football team is making history

The Chaparral High School football program in Southern New Mexico is making a name for itself these days.

And for the first time, the state of New Mexico is taking notice of the Lobos program. Chaparral High School is located less than 30 miles from Northeast El Paso.

The Lobos are 8-3 overall and seeded No. 3 in the Class 4A playoffs. The eight wins are the most in school history and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs is the highest seed the Lobos have ever had in the playoffs.

The Lobos defeated No. 6 seed Moriarty, 42-41, in the state quarterfinals on Nov. 14 when Lobos quarterback Israel Nieto scored with a rushing touchdown and it was followed by a successful extra point to advance the Lobos. Twelve teams made the state playoffs.

There are multiple classifications in New Mexico, ranging from Class 2A to Class 6A, as well as six-man and eight-man football divisions.

Chaparral football history

The Lobos played their first varsity game in 2007 and went 1-9 that season. The Lobos have had seven seasons with no wins,

The Lobos had winning seasons in 2015 and 2017, both times going 6-4.

Chaparral breaks through in 2024

Chaparral made the postseason in 2024 and defeated Portales in the first round on the road, securing the program’s first-ever playoff win.

Fast forward to 2025

The Lobos have won 8 of their last 10 games after losing their season opener to Gadsden. They went 4-2 in District 2-4A, which placed them second behind Albuquerque St. Pius.

The Lobos defeated strong teams from Albuquerque (Academy and Manzano), the state’s largest city, and another team from Los Lunas (Valencia HS), which is near Albuquerque.

Chaparral players to watch

Israel Nieto, QB. He has 1,786 yards passing, 634 yards rushing, 19 touchdown passes and 15 rushing touchdown runs.
Raul Lopez, RB. Lopez has rushed for 1,092 yards and has 470 yards rushing.
Aaron Eliserio, WR. He has caught eight touchdown passes.

Chaparral’s coaching staff

Joseph Frias, who played quarterback at El Paso’s Franklin High School and graduated in 2003, is the second-year head coach.

His staff includes defensive coordinator Stephen White, offensive coordinator Esai Ontiveros and defensive backs and wide receiver coach David Butler.

What’s next for Chaparral

The Lobos will play No. 2 St. Pius at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Nusenda Community Stadium in Albuquerque in the state semifinals. The winner will play either No. 1 Bloomfield or No. 4 Taos in the state finals.

What Chaparral head coach Joseph Frias said

“The kids have worked hard and bought into what we want to do,” Frias said. “Making the playoffs last year and winning a playoff game meant so much to the program. It gave us momentum.”

What Chaparral player Israel Nieto said

“We’ve had great support from the community, we’ve played with confidence and determination,” Nieto said.

Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X

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New Mexico

NMSU to host public reading by New Mexico native Dec. 5

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2025

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NMSU to host public reading by New Mexico native Dec. 5

Joshua Wheeler was raised in Alamogordo, New Mexico and his work has been described as “lyrical and funny” as well as “poetic and highly entertaining.” One of the two books he will read excerpts from next month is about southern New Mexico.

As part of the Nelson-Boswell Reading Series, La Sociedad para Las Artes will host a public reading by Wheeler, a Louisiana State University professor, from his publications “Acid West: Essays” and “High Heaven: A Novel.”

The reading begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 in New Mexico State University’s CMI Theater in Milton Hall, Room 171. A free reception will follow, where copies of Wheeler’s books will be available for purchase.

Wheeler is now based in New Orleans where he teaches creative writing at LSU. His debut novel “High Heaven” explores the evolution of faith and technology through the U.S.’s space age. His collection of essays “Acid West” follows the history of innovation and identity as seen from southern New Mexico – from cowboys and UFOs to nuclear testing and spaceports.

The Nelson-Boswell Reading Series invites visiting writers to NMSU to share their work with the community. La Sociedad para Las Artes is seeking to establish a permanent endowed fund through the NMSU Foundation whose earnings will support creative writing programs, including visiting writers and reading series as well as creative writing workshops for children in Las Cruces Public Schools.

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CUTLINE: Louisiana State University assistant professor of creative writing Joshua Wheeler will read from “Acid West: Essays” and “High Heaven: A Novel” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 in New Mexico State University’s CMI Theater in Milton Hall, Room 171 as part of NMSU’s Nelson-Boswell Reading Series hosted by La Sociedad para Las Artes. (Courtesy photo)

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