Heinrich, Lujan Grisham To Mark Milestone In Fuel Spill Cleanup At Kirtland Air Force Base

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Today, August 13, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham (N.M.-01) will join the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and state, local, and military officials at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) to mark the first time that contaminated groundwater associated with the Kirtland Bulk Fuels Facility leak has been extracted and treated, and to acknowledge the work of the teams involved in achieving this milestone.

Last year, Senators Heinrich and Tom Udall and Representative Lujan Grisham secured key commitments from the Air Force to clean up the fuel spill at KAFB. Later, the Air Force outlined a specific plan to remove contaminants by installing several "pump and treat" extraction wells.

The goal of the cleanup is to ensure public drinking water wells in the vicinity of the base remain safe for consumption, and that the plume is reduced in size and contaminants are brought within public health standards.

Albuquerque - Thursday, August 13

Who: U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor Susana Martinez, New Mexico Environment Department Representatives, and Local and State Leaders

What: Interim Measure Milestone Event to mark the first time contaminated groundwater associated with the Kirtland Bulk Fuels Facility leak has been extracted and treated, and to acknowledge the work of the project team involved in achieving this milestone.

When: Thursday, August 13, 2015

3:30 p.m. Media Arrival

4:00 p.m. Ceremony Begins

5:00 p.m. Ceremony Concludes/Follow-On Media Opportunities

Where: Albuquerque, Kirtland Air Force Base (Ridgecrest Gate-one block south of Kirtland Federal Credit Union on Louisiana Blvd.