IT’S A FIRST IN THE EFFORT TO CLEANUP AN UNDERGROUND FUEL SPILL AT KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE. DENNIS MCQUILLAN WITH THE STATE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT SAYS A GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION SYSTEM WILL START REMOVING CONTAMINANTS FROM THE AQUIFER BY THE END OF JUNE. HE SAYS IT’LL BE THE FIRST GROUND WATER REMEDIATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE SITE.
MCQUILLAN SAYS THE FIRST WELL WILL BE LOCATED IN A CHURCH PARKING LOT ON GIBSON BLVD. HE SAYS THAT SITE WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE THREE MONITOR WELLS NEARBY HAVE SHOWN ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE LEVELS ABOVE THE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.
