By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Former Speaker Judi Won Pat said she is working with the Guam Environmental Protection Agency and Guam Waterworks Authority to obtain information about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS testing of Guam’s public water system.
“My concern is that given our size and the proximity to many bases, our community is likely to be the most affected jurisdiction in the U.S. for PFAS contamination," said Won Pat, a Democrat who is running for the Guam delegate seat.
Won Pat cited recent Consumer Confidence Reports released by Andersen Airforce Base and Naval Base Guam showing results of drinking water tested in 2021.
“The latest water testing reports from the Navy and Air Force confirm that military bases are PFAS hot spots. Every single measurement from the military’s 2021 testing is above the new USEPA health advisory limit of 0.004 parts per trillion," Won Pat said.
She noted that the 2021 results cover a wider range of locations with positive tests than in 2020.
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"From Apra to Andersen with NCTS in between, it’s now clear that PFAS contaminants from the bases put Guam’s primary water source at risk," Won Pat said.
The 2021 Water Quality reports are benchmarked against the old USEPA HA level for PFAS of 70 parts per trillion. Won Pat said the new levels mean that “PFAS is not safe to drink at any level.”
"Several water wells on military bases have already been closed and PFAS may have moved ‘outside the fence,’ affecting GWA wells. We should anticipate the possibility that many more of our water wells in Guam will test above the safe level for PFAS," she added.
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