Top U.S. Air Force and New Mexico environment officials this week announced a verbal agreement to expedite clean up of toxic chemicals in Curry County aquifers surrounding Cannon Air Force base. 

Officials said the agreement marks a “thawing” in what has been a tense and litigious relationship, as the U.S. Air Force has agreed to pay for the state’s efforts and offer technical support to collect water samples and clean up the pollution around the base.

The contamination was first discovered in 2015, when the state identified what is now a 4-mile-long plume of firefighting foams containing per-and-polyflouroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. These manmade chemicals resist breaking down and can accumulate in water, soils and the bodies of humans and animals around the world — including in Clovis. Since then, the U.S. Air Force says it has spent $74 million treating the contamination.

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Due to the spread of the PFAS plume into private wells, Highland Dairy, with help from the state, dumped thousands of gallons of PFAS-contaminated milk and euthanized 3,600 dairy cows in 2022.

In March, state environment officials struck a deal with four Curry County dairy farmers to test and possibly treat their private wells for PFAS contamination, which State Environment Secretary James Kenney told Source New Mexico was the “catalyst” that created the opening for a meeting with U.S. Air Force top brass.

“Dairy farmers surrounding the base have agreed to allow the state access to their property for the characterization and remediation of the plume, which the Air Force has not been able to achieve or attain with the landowners to this point,” Kenney said.

The agreement came as the result of a May 8 meeting in Washington, D.C. brokered by New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales — who chairs the state’s military base planning commission — Department of the Air Force Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations and Environment Michael Borders Jr. and Kenney.

In a statement, Morales said his priority is to “sustain strong partnerships” with military installation and communities.

“This verbal agreement not only supports that mission, but ensures New Mexican farmers can live, work, and support their families in Curry County for generations to come,” Morales said.

Borders said in a statement the agreement “marks an important step in advancing PFAS response efforts and strengthening our partnership with the communities surrounding Cannon Air Force Base.”

The state remains in litigation with the U.S. Air Force in Denver federal appeals court over New Mexico’s authority to require the federal government follow state hazardous waste laws.

Kenney told Source New Mexico the verbal agreement offers “optimism after eight years of pessimism” in the state’s relationship with the Pentagon.

“We have gained a little bit more certainty on what the future looks like for Curry County, and on what the future looks like for Cannon Air Force Base,” Kenney said. “While we’re still in litigation, it does feel remarkably more positive to have an agreement like this.”

Kenney said he plans to head back to Washington D.C. next week to get the verbal agreement in writing.