Living a PFAS Nightmare

By Taylor Leach | Dairy Herd Management | March 1, 2023

Read the full article by Taylor Leach (Dairy Herd Management)

"Imagine receiving a phone call from the government telling you to euthanize your entire herd. That’s the nightmare Art Schapp, owner of Highland Dairy in Clovis, New Mexico, wished had never come true. And it’s one he continues to live each day, with his farm now officially being deemed a hazardous waste site.

 

The Battle with PFAS

It all started back in August 2018 when Schaap received word that seven of the 13 wells located on his dairy had been contaminated by toxins called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS.) These toxic chemicals entered the groundwater after aqueous film-forming foam, a substance used to smother flames in fire training exercises, were used at the nearby Cannon Air Force Base.

A July 2017 inspection by Air Force scientists found contamination near the Schaap dairy – an inspection that came eight years after the Air Force identified the need for such an inspection. The Air Force reported its findings to the New Mexico Environment Department, but not to the people living nearby. When the Air Force finally tested Schaap’s water on Aug. 28, 2018, it was found to be so polluted the military immediately began delivering bottled water to the family’s home."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• ProductsFirefighting foam
• SourcesMilitary bases
• Environment
• Wildlife
• ImpactAgriculture
• ImpactAgricultureDairies
• Affected community
• Health
• AgenciesEPA
• PFAS Uses