The U.S. Navy has confirmed a PFAS release area at OLF Santa Rosa, which is located inside the Santa Rosa County Well Field Protection Area. OLF Santa Rosa is located just south of Interstate 10 off Hwy. 87 S in East Milton. Information about when the release(s) took place have not yet been provided, but the release area is depicted on this graphic by the “X,” which is close to Fairpoint Regional Utility System water wells, which are depicted by blue stars.
The U.S. Navy on Tuesday announced it has expanded testing areas for PFAS surrounding NAS Whiting Field and its five outlying landing fields within Santa Rosa County. Residents in sampling areas near the military sites are being asked to allow the Navy to test their private drinking water wells.
The November 9 press release stated the sampling areas were expanded after validated results from tests earlier this year indicated 11 private water drinking wells near NAS Whiting Field were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lifetime health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion.
The testing is focused on private water wells located roughly one mile in the direction of groundwater flow from the sites. The Navy does not need to sample water for customers using water supplied by Chumuckla, East Milton, Holley‑Navarre, Midway, and Pace Water Systems.
In information mailed to residents and shared November 4 via WhitingFieldPFAS.com, the Navy confirms PFAS was released at OLF Santa Rosa in East Milton and potentially released at four other OLFs:
- OLF Santa Rosa, located just south of Interstate 10 on Hwy. 87 S in East Milton, has one confirmed and three potential PFAS release areas; the OLF is located inside Santa Rosa County’s designated Well Field Protection Area (outlined in red above). Multiple water wells in that area provide the majority of the potable water supply for south Santa Rosa County.
- OLF Holley, located on East Bay Boulevard in Navarre, has two potential PFAS release areas north of the former runway, which has been inactive since the 1980s and is now a solar array;
- OLF Harold, located off Deaton Bridge Road in the Harold community, has one potential PFAS release area;
- OLF Spencer, located east of West Spencer Field Road in Pace, has three potential PFAS release areas;
- OLF Pace, located near the intersection of Chumuckla Hwy. and Willard Norris Rd. in Chumucka, has one potential PFAS release site;
- Testing has also been expanded around NAS Whiting Field.
The findings are documented in a Preliminary Assessment Report: http://go.usa.gov/xAEQF.
Residents located in testing areas are asked to call 844-627-9353 and leave a message with their name and contact information to set up an appointment to have their private water wells tested. An adult must be present during sampling, which takes less than an hour and will be performed by two team members.
Per the Navy, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl manufactured substances) were previously utilized in firefighting foam at some military sites and may be associated with prostrate, kidney and testicular cancer; increased cholesterol; increased uric acid levels; changes to the immune system; decreased fertility; increased risk of high blood pressure and preeclampsia in pregnant women; small decrease in infant birth weight; altered hormone function; and developmental delays in fetuses and children, including possible changes in growth, learning and behavior.
Subsequently, the Navy is providing bottled water for drinking and cooking to residents with private drinking water wells with concentrations that exceed the EPA’s lifetime health advisory while working toward a long-term solution.
The Navy says sampling areas surrounding the military sites could be further expanded in the future and described the situation as an emerging national environmental issue, stating it will periodically update property owners as a long-term solution is developed.
For more information visit WhitingFieldPFAS.com.
