The Navy is conducting well water testing in the unincorporated town of 558 people, Atlantic, in Down East Carteret County to make sure compounds used in firefighting activities aren’t present.
The Navy has sent 600 letters to property owners who live near Marine Corps Outlying Land Field Atlantic to ask if they have drinking water wells and if they would allow it to be tested. Equipment testing, training, and firefighting activities may have been conducted at MCOLF Atlantic that used a compound known as aqueous film forming foam. Cherry Point Communications Strategy and Operations Officer Mike Barton.
“The Navy is testing for two chemicals, perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid, chemicals that have been used in many household and industrial products since the 1950s.”
These substances may be present in the soil and/or groundwater as a result of historical activities at MCOLF Atlantic.
“Although we have no record of using the firefighting foam associated with these chemicals at Atlantic Field and our testing of the drinking water at Atlantic Field did not find the chemicals, the Navy has decided to take the extra precaution for our neighbors of testing their private drinking water wells around the airfield.”
Barton wouldn’t speculate on whether residents in Atlantic should be drinking bottled water. He says well water testing will begin November 13 and run through late December. Preliminary results are expected within approximately two weeks of sampling. MCOLF Atlantic has been in operation since 1942 and is an active outlying landing field that supports training operations for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. For more information, go to: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/products_and_services/ev/products_and_services/env_restoration/installation_map/navfac_atlantic/midlant/cherry_point/mcolf_atlantic_pfas.html
