By Mike McCombs
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps held an open house on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Beaufort to provide information to the public about efforts to sample drinking water wells near Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort.
The sampling is for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which may be present in these drinking water wells due to past use of firefighting foam or other PFAS-containing materials on base.
In 2020, a basewide PFAS preliminary assessment was completed that identified known and potential areas where could end up in the groundwater. In 2021, samples from these areas confirmed several areas where the chemicals were confirmed in the groundwater and places where the groundwater may flow away from those release areas and off base onto surrounding private property.
While most water service on those properties is provided by Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA), some residents may use wells. The Navy and Marine Corps attempted to identify those properties where wells were in use, contact the residents and offered to test samples from those wells to see if PFAS are above 70 parts per million.
Thirty-six people attended the open house as a result of the Navy and Marine Corps’ efforts.
If samples from those wells are found to be above 70 parts per million, the Navy and Marine Corps will immediately – and until a long-term solution is implemented – provide bottled water for drinking and cooking.
Research shows there may be human health and ecological effects from widespread use of PFAs. However, as of now, there is no legal requirement for the Navy and Marine Corps to conduct this water testing.
The Navy and Marine Corps are working in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
For more information on the effects of PFAS, visit https://www.epa.gov/pfas or https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html.
For more information about the off-base drinking water sampling, visit https://go.usa.gov/xJgYA.
For questions, contact the MCAS Beaufort Public Affairs Office at 800-818-8455 or BFRT_JPAO@usmc.mil.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
