NM environment officials, U.S. Air Force agree to PFAS cleanup plan around Cannon

By Danielle Prokop | Source NM | May 13, 2026

Read the full article by Danielle Prokop (Source NM)

"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."