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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
§
§
§
§
§
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Plaintiffs,
§
§
v.
§
§
THE UNITED STATES and THE UNITED §
STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR §
FORCE,
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§
Defendants.
§
STATE OF NEW MEXICO, ex rel. HECTOR
BALDERAS, Attorney General, and the
NEW
MEXICO
ENVIRONMENT
DEPARTMENT,

Case No. _______

Complaint

THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, by and through New Mexico Attorney General Hector
H. Balderas, and the New Mexico Environment Department (collectively, “Plaintiffs” or the
“State”), file this Complaint against the above-named Defendants and in support thereof allege as
follows:
INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE CASE
1.

This is a civil action by the State against Defendants United States and the U.S.

Department of the Air Force (collectively, “Defendants”) brought pursuant to the New Mexico
Hazardous Waste Act, NMSA 1978, § 74-4-1 to -14. 1
2.

This action arises from the improper disposal of and failure to contain or address

contaminants and hazardous wastes at Cannon Air Force Base (“Cannon”), located approximately

1

Concurrent with the filing of this Complaint, Plaintiffs have issued a notice to Defendants under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) of their intent to bring a claim to remedy the imminent and substantial
endangerment created by the conduct of Defendants described herein, and reserves the right to seek any additional
remedies that may be available under the law, including but not limited to a claim for natural resource damages
pursuant to Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) §107(a)(4), 42
U.S.C. § 9607(a)(4).

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seven miles southwest of Clovis, New Mexico and above the Ogallala Aquifer, and Holloman Air
Force Base (“Holloman”), located in the Tularosa Basin between the Sacramento and San Andreas
mountain ranges ten miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico, by Defendants, resulting in
contamination and pollution of the environment, including public and private water sources both
on- and off-site, with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), also known as
fluorochemicals, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid
(“PFOS”), and other known or suspected toxic compounds.
3.

Defendants’ discharges and the resulting contamination at Cannon and Holloman

have created an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment.
4.

As a result of this ongoing and persistent contamination and pollution, the State

seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, and reimbursement of past and future costs incurred by the
State associated with these environmental and public health risks and injuries at Cannon and
Holloman.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
5.

This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action under 28 U.S.C. § 1331.

6.

This Court has the authority to grant declaratory relief, 28 U.S.C. § 2201, as well

as further relief requested in this Complaint, including injunctive relief, 28 U.S.C. § 2202.
7.

This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants as they conduct sufficient

business with sufficient minimum contacts in the State, and/or intentionally subjected themselves
to this jurisdiction through the commission of tortious activity within the State.
8.

Venue is proper in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391, because the acts described in this Complaint occurred in this judicial
district.

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PARTIES
Plaintiffs
9.

Plaintiff, the New Mexico Environment Department (“NMED”) is a state executive

agency pursuant to the Department of Environment Act, NMSA 1978, §§ 9-7A-1 to -15. NMED
is charged with the administration and enforcement of the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act
(“HWA”) and the Hazardous Waste Management Regulations, 20.4.1-20.4.5 NMAC, and has
authority to bring this lawsuit. NMSA 1978, § 74-1-6(A); NMSA 1978, § 74-4-13(A).
10.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, is the “attorney for the State of

New Mexico,” State ex rel. Norvell v. Credit Bureau of Albuquerque, Inc., 1973-NMSC-087, ¶ 5,
85 N.M. 521, and his office is recognized in Article V, Section 1 of the New Mexico Constitution.
The New Mexico Legislature has authorized the Attorney General to prosecute and defend, in any
court, civil actions in which the State is a party, when, in his judgment, the interest of the State
requires such an action. NMSA 1978, § 8-5-2; State ex rel. Attorney Gen. v. Reese, 1967-NMSC172, ¶ 14, 78 N.M. 241, 245, 430 P.2d 399.
11.

Plaintiffs bring these claims, in part, pursuant to their authority to guard against

adverse environmental and health impacts and risks associated with contamination such as that
which is present at Cannon and Holloman.
12.

Under Article XX, Section 21 of the New Mexico Constitution, “protection of the

state’s beautiful and healthful environment is . . . declared to be of fundamental importance to the
public interest, health, safety and the general welfare.” This provision “recognizes that a public
trust duty exists for the protection of New Mexico’s natural resources . . . for the benefit of the
people of this state.” Sanders-Reed ex rel. Sanders-Reed v. Martinez, 350 P.3d 1221, 1225 (N.M.
Ct. App. 2015).

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Defendants
13.

Defendant is the United States of America, including all federal government

agencies and departments responsible for the acts alleged in this Complaint.
14.

The Department of the Air Force is one of three military departments of the U.S.

Department of Defense and is responsible for the administration and operation of the United States
Air Force. The Department of the Air Force is and was at all times relevant to this Complaint the
owner and operator of Cannon and Holloman.
GENERAL FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
A. PFAS Background
15.

PFAS comprise a family of approximately 3,500 manmade chemicals not found in

nature that have been in use since the 1940s. The backbone of a PFAS chemical is a chain of
carbon atoms, which may be fully (per) or partly (poly) fluorinated.
16.

Due to their ability to repel heat, oil, stains, grease, and water, PFAS are found in a

wide array of industrial and consumer products. Companies used PFAS to make, among other
things, carpet, clothing, stain-resistant fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food, and other
materials such as cookware that are resistant to water, grease, or stains.
17.

The two most recognized members of the PFAS family are PFOS and PFOA, which

are long, eight-chain PFAS. PFOS and PFOA easily dissolve in water and thus they are mobile
and readily spread in the environment.

They are also persistent.

PFOS and PFOA have

degradation periods of years, decades, or longer under natural conditions and have a half-life in
the human body of two to nine years.
18.

PFOA and PFOS also readily contaminate soils and leach from soil into

groundwater, where they can travel significant distances.

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19.

PFOS and PFOA are strong, stable, bioaccumulative, and biomagnifying, meaning

that they resist degradation due to light, water, and biological processes and tend to accumulate in
organisms up the food chain.
20.

Further, PFOS and PFOA are toxic, meaning that they pose significant threats to

public health and the environment. Exposure to PFOS and PFOA presents health risks even when
PFOS and PFOA are ingested at seemingly low levels.
21.

PFOS and PFOA exposure is associated with a variety of illnesses, including

increased risk in humans of testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid cancer, high cholesterol,
ulcerative colitis, and pregnancy-induced hypertension, as well as other conditions. The chemicals
are particularly dangerous for pregnant woman and young children.
22.

Toxicology studies show that PFOS and PFOA are readily absorbed after oral

exposure and are relatively stable once ingested so that they accumulate in individual organs for
significant periods of time, primarily the serum, kidney, and liver.
23.

Studies further found that individuals with occupational exposure to PFOA run

higher risks of bladder and kidney cancer.
24.

In studies involving laboratory animals, PFOA and PFOS exposure increased the

risk of tumors, changed hormone levels, and affected the function of the liver, thyroid, pancreas,
and the immune system.
25.

The adverse effects associated with both PFOS and PFOA are additive when both

chemicals are present, meaning that their individual adverse effects are cumulative.
26.

However, injuries are not sudden and can arise months or years after exposure to

PFOS and/or PFOA.

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27.

PFAS were formally identified as “emerging contaminants” by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) in 2014. This term describes contaminants about
which the scientific community, regulatory agencies, and the public have an evolving awareness
regarding their movements in the environment and effects on public health. PFAS, like other
emerging contaminants, are the focus of active research and study, which means new information
is released periodically regarding the effects on the environment and human health as a result of
exposure to the chemicals.
28.

Six PFAS were included by the EPA in the Third Unregulated Contaminant

Monitoring Rule per the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments in May 2012. Monitoring of
these substances was required between 2013 and 2015 to provide a basis for future regulatory
action to protect public health.
29.

According to the EPA, PFOA and PFOS pose potential adverse effects for the

environment and human health. See, e.g., U.S. EPA, Technical Fact Sheet—Perfluorooctane
Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) (Nov. 2017), available at
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/documents/ffrrofactsheet_contaminants_
pfos_pfoa_11-20-17_508_0.pdf.
30.

In January 2009, EPA established a drinking water Provisional Health Advisory

(“HA”) level for PFOA and PFOS—two of the PFC compounds about which we have the most
toxicological data. EPA set the Provisional HA level at 0.4 parts per billion (“ppb”) for PFOA and
0.2 ppb for PFOS.
31.

In 2016, following additional study, the EPA lowered the HA for PFOS and

PFOA. EPA established the HA levels for PFOS and PFOA at 70 parts per trillion (“ppt”), or 0.07
micrograms per liter (“µg/L”). In addition, EPA, in issuing its 2016 HAs, directs that when both

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PFOA and PFOS are found in drinking water, the combined concentrations of PFOA and PFOS
should be compared with the 70 ppt HA.
32.

In 2018, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (“ATSDR”)

released an updated Toxicological Profile for PFAS that revised its minimal risk levels (“MRLs”)
for PFOA and PFOS. An MRL is the estimated amount of a chemical a person can eat, drink, or
breathe each day without a detectable risk to health. The intermediate oral (15 to 364 days) MRL
for PFOA was revised from the previous level of 2x10-5 (0.00002) mg/kg/day to 3x10-6 (0.000003)
mg/kg/day and for PFOS was revised from the previous level of 3x10-5 (0.00003) mg/kg/day to
2x10-6 (0.000002) mg/kg/day. These new MRLs were lowered because they now take into
consideration immune system effects; the former thresholds were based only developmental health
effects.
33.

The EPA acknowledges that the studies associated with PFAS are ongoing and that

based upon additional information, the HAs may be adjusted.
34.

Additionally, at least four states, Vermont, California, Minnesota, and New Jersey,

have adopted limits or health guidelines on PFAS that are lower than the current EPA HAs.
35.

As of July 2018, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission voted to add

PFOA and PFOS to the list of toxic pollutants the State regulates “at a risk-based level” of 70 ppt,
matching the federal level. See 20.6.2.3103.A(2) and 20.6.2.7.T(2)(s) NMAC. New Mexico’s
Hazardous Waste Bureau, with the Ground Water Quality Bureau, developed the NMED Risk
Assessment Guidance for Site Investigation and Remediation, which helps to determine if a site is
contaminated to a point that warrants further investigation or action. The associated screening
levels and soil screening levels were developed based on the standards found in 20.6.2.3103

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NMAC. The Hazardous Waste Bureau uses those screening levels in its administration of the
HWA and the Hazardous Waste Management Regulations.
36.

Additional PFAS for which there are currently less scientific information include:

Perfluorohexane

sulfonic

Perfluorononanoate

acid

acid

(“PFHxS”);

(“PFNA”);

Perfluorooctane

Perfluorododecanoic

sulfonamide
acid

(“PFOSA”);

(“PFDoA”);

and

Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (“PFBS”).
37.

While more studies have been conducted and thus more is known regarding PFOS

and PFOA, all PFAS have generally demonstrated similar characteristics to PFOS and PFOA.
38.

By 2015, PFOA was voluntarily phased out of production by the major

manufacturers. However early studies of the replacement PFAS indicate they are nearly as
harmful. There are still some applications of traditional PFOA and PFOS and the chemicals are
persistent in pre-existing products made prior to the phaseout.
B. PFAS in AFFF Used at Bases
39.

In the 1960s, 3M Company and the U.S. Navy developed “aqueous film-foaming

foam” (“AFFF”), a firefighting foam containing PFOS and PFOA. AFFF concentrate contains
fluorochemicals used to meet required performance standards for fire extinguishing agents.
40.

In the 1970s, military sites, civilian airports, and firefighting training centers began

using AFFF worldwide.
41.

The United States Air Force began purchasing and using AFFF-containing PFAS

for firefighting training activities and petroleum fire extinguishment in 1970.
42.

AFFF was primarily used on Air Force installations at fire training areas, but may

have also been used, stored, or released from hangar fire suppression systems, at firefighting

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equipment testing and maintenance areas, and during emergency response actions for fuel spills
and mishaps.
43.

A 1980s study by the U.S. Navy found that AFFF has “adverse effects

environmentally” and kills aquatic life.
44.

As early as 2011, the U.S. Department of Defense acknowledged that there was a

PFAS crisis among its facilities. An internal study identified 594 military sites that were likely to
have contaminated groundwater, although it was noted that this number may underestimate the
problem by not including AFFF spills, pipeline leaks, or aircraft hangar fire suppression systems.
45.

In March 2018, the military acknowledged that PFAS were present at 121 military

sites and suspected at hundreds of others. At least 564 drinking water supplies in communities
near military sites have PFAS levels that exceed EPA’s HA.
46.

The USAF is working to replace its current inventory of AFFF with more

formations based on shorter carbon chains, such as Phos-Chek, a six-carbon chain (“C6”) based
foam that does not contain PFOS.
47.

C6 PFAS are the most prominent replacements for traditional eight-carbon chain

PFAS as they are thought to degrade faster. DuPont, one of the major consumers and producers
of PFOA, has a spinoff company, Chemours, that manufactures the most well-known C6 product
known as GenX.
48.

C6 products are still PFAS and presents similar health and environmental concerns

to longer-chain PFAS. In May 2015, 200 scientists signed the Madrid Statement, “which expresses
concern about the production of all fluorochemicals, or PFAS, including those that have replaced
PFOA. PFOA and its replacements are suspected to belong to a large class of artificial compounds
called endocrine-disrupting chemicals; these compounds, which include chemicals used in the

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production of pesticides, plastics, and gasoline, interfere with human reproduction and metabolism
and cause cancer, thyroid problems and nervous system disorders.” A. Blum et al., The Madrid
Statement on Poly-and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs), ENVIRON. HEALTH PERSPECT.
123:A107–A111 (2015), available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509934.
49.

To the extent the Air Force intends to utilize this alternative, its use must similarly

be compliant with applicable statutes and common laws that are protective of human health and
the environment.
C. PFAS Contamination at New Mexico Air Force Bases
Cannon Air Force Base
50.

Cannon is located in eastern New Mexico, near the city of Clovis. Cannon

encompasses approximately 3,789 acres of land owned by the United States and hosts a population
of roughly 7,800 people.
51.

Clovis, New Mexico is a city with a population of approximately 39,000 that relies

upon the Ogallala Aquifer for its potable water.
52.

Cannon includes two perpendicular active runways in the central and southwest

portions; maintenance, support, and operational facilities west of the central runway/flightline;
supplemental hangars and apron areas in the south-central region; a wastewater treatment plant to
the east; and a golf course and residential and service facilities in the northwest portion.
53.

Adjacent land to Cannon includes mixed-use land utilized as residential,

agricultural, and farmland to the north; agricultural and farmland to the east and south; and
agricultural and open grassland to the west.

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54.

Cannon is an active military installation that currently houses the 27th Special

Operation Wing, which conducts sensitive special missions including close air support, unmanned
aerial vehicle operations, and non-standard aviation in response to the Secretary of Defense.
55.

Cannon was developed in 1929 when Portair Field was established as a civilian

passenger terminal. The Army Air Corps acquired control of the facility in 1942, and it became
known as the Clovis Army Air Base. Clovis Army Air Base operated as an installation for aviation,
bombing, and gunnery training until 1947 when the facility was deactivated. The Base was
reactivated as Clovis Air Force Base in 1951 and became a permanent military installation in June
1957, when it was renamed Cannon Air Force Base.
56.

Defendants have used AFFF at Cannon for more than fifty years in training and

actual firefighting events at the base. During routine training exercises, AFFF was sprayed directly
on the ground and/or tarmac at several fire training areas, allowing PFOA and PFOS to travel to
the surrounding groundwater, causing contamination on and offsite. PFAS remains at very high
concentrations in groundwater both on and off the base.
57.

In addition to routine training for personnel, additional releases of PFAS-containing

AFFF have occurred at Cannon through testing of the equipment, false alarms, equipment
malfunctions, and other incidental releases in the hangars, fire stations, and other locations. Once
the AFFF-containing PFAS was released into the environment, the contamination migrated offsite.
58.

On July 26, 2017, Defendants provided NMED with a “Site Inspection of Aqueous

Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Release Areas Environmental Programs Worldwide InstallationSpecific Work Plan” for Cannon (“Cannon SI Work Plan”). The provision of this report to NMED
was described “as a courtesy” in a July 27, 2017 letter to NMED.

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59.

The purpose of the Cannon SI Work Plan was to identify locations where PFAS

may have been used and released into the environment and to provide an initial assessment of
possible migration pathways and receptors of potential contamination.
60.

The Cannon SI Work Plan identified thirteen AFFF release areas that were

recommended for site investigation, although it did not preclude the presence of PFAS
contamination at other areas throughout the site.

The following areas are known to have

confirmed releases of AFFF:
a. Former Fire Training Area (“FTA”) No. 2—Former FTA No. 2 is located in the
southeast corner of Cannon, approximately 1,000 feet south of the active FTA, and was
used for fire training exercises from approximately 1968 to 1974. The area includes two
round depressions in the land surface, each measuring approximately 100 feet in diameter.
Fire training exercises were conducted twice per quarter using approximately 300 gallons
of the unused jet propellant JP-4. No specific AFFF use was reported at Former FTA No.
2; however, since the FTA operated after initial use of AFFF at the base, it is likely that
AFFF was used at this location.
b. Former FTA No. 3—Former FTA No. 3 is located in the southeast corner of the base,
approximately 800 feet southeast of the active FTA, and was used concurrently with FTA
No. 2 between approximately 1968 and 1972. Training exercises were conducted twice
per quarter in an unlined, half-moon shaped area approximately 100 feet in length. No
specific use of AFFF at Former FTA No. 2 was recorded; however, since the FTA operated
after initial use of AFFF at the base, it is likely that AFFF was used at this location.
c. Former FTA No. 4—Former FTA No. 4 was used form 1974 through 1995 for fire training
exercises. Training activities were conducted twice per quarter, during which an unknown
volume of AFFF was used. FTA No. 4 consisted of an unlined circular area approximately
400 feet in diameter with a mock aircraft located in the center. Prior to 1985, the jet
propellant JP-4 and AFFF runoff generated during fire training exercises collected in an
unlined pit. The pit was backfilled in 1985 and a new, lined pit with an oil/water separator
was installed to handle collected runoff. The oil/water separator was subsequently
removed in 1996.
d. Hangar 119—General storage warehouse hangar located in the west central portion of the
base, west of the flight apron, with three accidental AFFF releases. The first incident
occurred in September 2006 when approximately 60 gallons of AFFF discharged into a
storm drain after the AFFF system was accidentally activated, possibly due to a corroded
valve. The second incident occurred in September 2012 when a “significant amount” of
AFFF was discharged into bay number one and flowed onto asphalt on the north side of
the structure between Hangar 119 and Building 102. Incident reports indicate that a “huge

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amount” of AFFF entered a storm drain while the rest was left to evaporate. The third
incident occurred in July 2013 when an unknown quantity of AFFF was discharged onto
the concrete flight ramp outside of the bays, which convey liquid directly to the South
Playa Lake. Due to the large quantity of AFFF released at Hangar 119, there is the potential
that AFFF migrated to grassy areas to the south and southwest of the structure.
e. Hangar 133—Small aircraft hangar located in the west central portion of the base,
immediately south of Hangar 119, with two additional AFFF releases. Several hundred
gallons of AFFF were released during a scheduled rinsing of the hangar fire system in
December 2000 and entered a nearby storm drain. Approximately 200 gallons of AFFF
were released into a hangar bay following a power outage in July 2001. Most of the AFFF
entered a floor trench and was routed to the wastewater treatment plan (“WWTP”);
however, AFFF that did not enter the floor trench was washed into nearby infield soil and
allowed to evaporate.
f. Former Sewage Lagoon—The former sewage lagoons consisted of two unlined surface
impoundments that were used from 1966 to 1998 and received sanitary and industrial waste
from base facilities prior to the construction of the WWTP. The former sewage lagoons
would have received any AFFF that entered the sanitary sewer system from 1966 to 1998.
Documented releases of AFFF to the sanitary system from Hangars 199 and 208 were
reported prior to and during 1998. As such, there is evidence that AFFF was released to
the environment at the former sewage lagoons.
g. North Playa Lake Outfall—North Playa Lake, located southeast of the WWTP, received
all Cannon sanitary and industrial wastewater from 1943 to 1966. Currently, all treated
effluent from the WWTPP is released primarily to North Playa Lake with a portion also
released to the golf course for irrigation. Since there is no accepted wastewater treatment
process for PFAS, any wastewater collected at the WWTP containing PFAS would be
passed on to North Playa Lake.
h. South Playa Lake Outfall—South Playa Lake is located in the southwestern portion of
Cannon and serves as the base’s primary stormwater collection point. The lake has
received stormwater runoff from portions of the flightline area since 1943. Solvents, fuels,
oils, greases, and AFFF are all potential contaminants that would have discharged to the
lake from the flightline area. Documented releases of AFFF in the hangars resulted in
AFFF entering storm drains with liquid being subsequently routed to South Playa Lake.
i. Hangar 109—Parking and general maintenance hangar located in the west central portion
of Cannon, with two accidental AFFF releases. The first release occurred in December
1999 when an office fire activated the AFFF fire suppression system, releasing
approximately 500 gallons of AFFF in the hangar bay that reportedly entered the floor
trench and was routed to the WWTP. No AFFF was reportedly released outside the hangar
in 1999. A second release of approximately twenty-five gallons of AFFF solution occurred
in 2016. Installation personnel identified that AFFF was released outside the hangar and
was allowed to evaporate west and southwest of the hangar.

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j. Active FTA—Active FTA located in the southeast portion of Cannon, immediately
northwest of FT-07, FT-08, and FTA-4. The FTA became operational in 1997 and consists
of a circular lined burn pit with a mockup of a large aircraft, a propane fuel tank, a control
panel, and a lined evaporation pond. Fire training exercises are conducted at the active FTA
approximately monthly using water or AFFF. The fire department also conducts annual
vehicle foam checks at the FTA. Liquids discharged into the lined burn pit, including water
and AFFF, drain to the lined evaporation pond located approximately 300 feet southwest
of the pit and are left to evaporate. The liner of the evaporation pit has required repairs in
the past, and breaches in the liner have allowed AFFF to infiltrate the soils beneath the
liner. Additionally storms in May 2015 resulted in significant flash flooding across
Cannon, which likely resulted in any residual AFFF located in the evaporation basin to
overflow and be released in the surrounding environment.
k. Landfill #4—Closed landfill covering approximately 7 acres in the east central portion of
Cannon that was only operational for one year between 1967 and 1968. The landfill
received domestic and industrial wastes including solvents, paints, thinners, and waste oils.
Disposal activities consisted of placing waste material into a trench, burning the
accumulated waste, and then covering the burned material with soil. Due to the period of
operation, AFFF would not have been included in landfilled refuse; however, the landfill
cover was revegetated and used water from North Playa Lake, located immediately south
of Landfill #4, which receives treated effluents from the WWTP.
l. Perimeter Road Fuel Spill—A fuel tanker truck overturned while traveling along
Perimeter Road in the southeast corner of the base. All fuel from the tanker was released
on the southeast side of the road. The fire department responded with crash trucks and
reportedly sprayed AFFF on the fuel spill. The response was conducted over several days
with multiple fire trucks discharging the entire supply of AFFF on the release.
Contaminated soils were excavated, but the excavation depth is unknown.
m. Flightline Crash Areas—Three aircraft crashes have occurred along the flightline where
the fire department responded with the use of AFFF. Two incidents involving F-16 aircraft
were identified at the southern end of the flightline, and a third incident involving an F-111
aircraft occurred at the north end of the flightline. No information regarding the amount
of AFFF released is known at this time.
n. Whispering Winds Golf Course Outfall—The base golf course began receiving a portion
of treated effluent from the WWTP to fill ponds and irrigate the greens in approximately
2002. The golf course is irrigated five nights per week for approximately four hours using
a sprinkler system. Any wastewater collected at the WWTP containing AFFF therefore
could be released at the golf course.
o. Hangar 204—Hangar 204 was identified as an area for additional investigation due to the
release of AFFF outside the structure; however, it was determined during a scoping visit
that based on surface topography surrounding the hangar, any AFFF released from hangar
doors would drain directly to storm drains in the apron or would evaporate on the concrete
apron. Any AFFF that entered the storm drain would have been routed to South Playa

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Lake. Infiltration of AFFF into soils in the vicinity of Hangar 204 was thus thought to be
unlikely and, therefore, it was removed from further investigation.
61.

In August 2018, Cannon submitted a “Final Site Investigation Report, Investigation

of Aqueous Film Foaming Foam Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico” to NMED (“Cannon SI
Report”). As stated in the Cannon SI Report, exceedances of the EPA’s HA of 70 ppt for
groundwater were detected in six of the eighteen environmental restoration program monitoring
wells at the base.
62.

Fourteen AFFF release areas at Cannon were analyzed for PFAS contamination in

the soil and groundwater. PFOS and PFOA concentrations in soil and sediment were compared
against the regional screening level (RSL) of 0.126 mg/kg. Groundwater concentrations for PFOA
and PFOS, or PFOA and PFOS combined, were compared against the EPA’s HA of 70 ppt.
63.

At Former FTA No. 3, PFOS was detected above the RSL in the surface sample at

0.24 mg/kg, nearly twice the RSL.
64.

At Former FTA No. 4., PFOS was detected above the RSL in the surface soil

samples at each of the three locations with the highest detected concentration being 0.61 mg/kg,
nearly five times the RSL.
65.

At Hangars 119 and 113, PFOS was detected above the RSL at each location with

the highest detected concentration being 0.42 mg/kg, more than three times the RSL.
66.

At the Former Sewage Lagoons, PFOS was detected above the RSL at two

subsurface sample sites with the highest detected concentration being 0.29 mg/kg, more than twice
the RSL.
67.

At the North Playa Lake Outfall, PFOS and PFOA combined were detected above

the HA values at both surface water sample sites, with the highest detected combined value being
0.123 µg/L, nearly two times the HA.

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68.

At Hangar 109, PFOS was detected above the RSL at a maximum concentration of

0.23 mg/kg, nearly twice the RSL.
69.

At the Active FTA, PFOS was detected above the RSL at a surface soil location at

a concentration of 1.1 mg/kg, more than eight times the RSL, the highest of all soil samples on the
base.
70.

Two locations, Landfill #4 and Flightline Aircraft Crashes, were presented in the

Basewide Groundwater Sampling. PFOS was detected basewide above the HA at five sample sites
with a maximum detected concentration of 24 µg/L, 342 times the HA. PFOA was detected above
the HA at four sample sites with a maximum detected concentration of 3.1 µg/L, forty-four times
the HA. PFOS and PFOA combined exceeded the HA at six sample sites with the maximum
concentration of 26.2 µg/L, 374 times the HA.
71.

Notably, because these compounds are persistent and bioaccumulative, any

detectable amount that can be ingested, regardless of whether or not it exceeds the HA or RSLs,
will add to the lifetime concentration of PFAS in any given individual.
72.

NMED learned in late 2018 that following a preliminary assessment in 2015 and a

scoping visit in in 2016, the Air Force collected samples at four of its public supply wells in 2016,
at fourteen potential PFAS release sites in 2017, and at off-base private water supply wells in 2018.
The Air Force test results documented high concentrations of PFAS compounds in both on- and
off-base groundwater. Sampling has detected PFAS in some off-base wells, which provide
drinking water and livestock and irrigation water to local dairies, including the Highland Dairy,
half of a mile south and slightly east of Cannon. Air Force sampling showed a maximum of 539
ppt for PFOA in the Highland Dairy well (7.7 times the EPA HA), and Highland Dairy’s own

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sampling showed 2,920 PFOA (nearly 42 times the HA), with a total PFOS/PFOA of 14,320 ppt
in an irrigation well (more than 204 times the HA).
73.

The Air Force itself has determined that the “presence [of PFOS and PFOA at

Cannon] in drinking water at levels above the EPA [HAs] poses an imminent and substantial
danger to public health or welfare,” and notified NMED of this determination via letter on January
10, 2019.
74.

On September 26, 2018 NMED sent a letter confirming that a teleconference with

the Air Force on August 13, 2018, in which the State noted that the detection of PFAS compounds
in groundwater exceeding the HA counted as “a notifiable discharge even if the specific date,
sources and volumes of the discharge are not yet known.” The Air Force provided a formal notice
of the discharge event to NMED on August 14, 2018.
75.

NMED advised that the Cannon SI Report that was submitted August 27, 2018

would count as an Interim Corrective Action report subject to several conditions as well as
additional corrective actions.
76.

The Air Force responded to NMED’s September 26 letter on October 26, 2018, and

declined to make the revisions requested by NMED.
Holloman Air Force Base
77.

Holloman is located in Otero County near the city of Alamogordo. The base covers

approximately 59,800 acres and hosts a population of roughly 21,000.
78.

Alamogordo, New Mexico is a city with a population of approximately 31,000

people who rely partially upon groundwater in the Tularosa Basin for potable water.
79.

Holloman, formerly known as Alamogordo Army Air Field, was initiated as a

wartime temporary facility in 1942. In March 1947, after a brief inactivation at the end of World

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War II, the installation was transferred to the Air Material Command with the mission of providing
facilities and testing of pilotless aircraft, guided missiles, and allied equipment in support of the
Air Material Command Research and Development Program. The base was renamed Holloman
Air Force Base in 1948.
80.

Holloman is currently home of the 49th wing of the Air Combat Command, 96th

Test Group, 54th Fighter Group, and the German Air Force Flying Training Center. Operations at
Holloman include missile testing, aircraft and pilot training, operational equipment and systems
testing, and aircraft maintenance and storage.
81.

In 2015, the “Final Preliminary Assessment Report for Perfluorinated Compounds

at Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, New Mexico” identified thirty-one potential PFAS
release areas at Holloman. The Preliminary Assessment was provided to NMED as part of the
EPA’s Health Advisory proceedings.
82.

In November 2018, Defendants released the “Final Site Inspection of Aqueous Film

Forming Foam (AFFF) Release Areas Environmental Programs Worldwide” for Holloman.
(“Holloman SI Report”).
83.

The Holloman SI Report detailed five AFFF release areas, but did not rule out the

possibility that releases had occurred elsewhere at the site:
a. Former FTA—Fire training activities were conducted generally at the Former FTA since
1942, although the exact dates of fire training in this area is unknown. Fire training was
conducted in two unlined burn pit areas within the Former FTA. The volume of AFFF
used during each training exercise is unknown. Fire training activities continued at this
location until 1990 when training exercises were moved to the current FTA.
b. Sewage Lagoon Area Outfall—Prior to construction of a WWTP in 1996, wastewater
from Holloman was discharged directly into the sewage lagoon area that was comprised of
seven unlined lagoons. Approximately 1.2 million gallons of domestic and industrial
wastewater were discharged into the sewage lagoon daily.

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c. Apache Mesa Golf Course Outfall—In 2011, the golf course began receiving a portion
of the effluent from the WWTP to fill two golf course ponds and irrigate greens. Releases
of AFFF from within the industrial shops and Holloman would be routed through the
WWTP and eventually lead to the water holding tank at the Apache Mesa Golf Course.
d. Lake Holloman Outfalls—Wastewater from Holloman was discharged directly into the
sewage lagoon area and eventually to Lake Holloman prior to construction of the WWTP
in 1996.
e. Evaporation Pond No. 2—The evaporation basin was installed in 1991 and currently
collects all discharges containing AFFF, routed through hangar bay floor drains from
hangars located in the western ramp area of the West Hangar Group. The Holloman Fire
Department uses this basin for monthly AFFF tests and firehose washouts. AFFF is
reportedly sprayed from vehicles into the pond until a consistent flow pattern is established.
84.

The Former FTA (FT-31), the Sewage Lagoon Area Outfall, the Apache Mesa Golf

Course Outfall, the Lake Holloman Outfalls, and Evaporation Pond No. 2 release areas were
analyzed for PFAS contamination in the soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater. PFOS and
PFOA concentrations in soil and sediment were compared against the RSL of 0.126 mg/kg.
Groundwater concentrations for PFOA and PFOS, or PFOA and PFOS combined were compared
against the EPA HA of 70 ppt.
85.

Six surface soil samples, including one duplicate, and six subsurface soil samples,

including one duplicate, from a total of five locations, were taken and analyzed for PFAS at the
Former FTA (FT-31). The soils were analyzed for PFOA and PFOS, with each being detected at
each sample site. PFOS was detected above the RSL more than half the time with the highest
concentration exceeding the 0.126 mg/kg RSL at 1.13 mg/kg, nearly nine times the limit. At the
three groundwater sample sites at FT-31, PFOS, PFOA, and PFOA and PFOS combined were
detected well above the EPA HA of 0.07 µg/L, with the highest concentrations being 48.4 µg/L
(691 times the HA), 254 µg/L (3,628 times the HA), and 302.4 µg/L (4,314 times the HA),
respectively.

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86.

At the Sewage Lagoon Area Outfall, groundwater results at three locations revealed

PFOS, PFOA, and PFOS and PFOA combined all exceeding EPA’s HA. The surface water sample
also revealed PFOS, PFOA, and combined concentrations exceeding the HA.
87.

One groundwater, two sediment, two surface water, and two effluent samples were

taken at the Apache Mesa Golf Course Outfall. PFOA and PFOS combined were detected above
the HA in the groundwater sample with a maximum concentration of 0.1371 µg/L, nearly twice
the HA. PFOS, PFOA, and PFOS and PFOA combined exceeded the HA at both of the surface
water sample locations, with the highest concentration of 1.317 µg/L. Likewise, PFOS, PFOA,
and the two combined exceeded the HA in both of the effluent samples with the highest
concentration of 0.995 µg/L, fourteen times the HA.
88.

Sediment and surface water samples were taken at Lake Holloman Outfalls. PFOS

was detected in sediment above the RSL at 0.519 mg/kg, four times the RSL. The surface water
samples each had concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, and PFOS and PFOA combined that exceed the
EPA HA, with the maximum concentration of PFOS and PFOA combined at 3.188 µg/L, fortyfive times the HA.
89.

Finally, soil and groundwater were analyzed at Evaporation Pond No. 2. PFOS was

detected above the RSL at the surface and subsurface intervals for each of the soil samples with a
maximum concentration of 5.71 mg/kg, the highest of all soil samples for Holloman and forty-five
times the RSL. PFOA was also detected above the RSL at the surface level for each sample. PFOS,
PFOA, and PFOS and PFOA combined were detected above the HA in the groundwater sample
with a maximum PFOS and PFOA combined concentration of 1066.6 µg/L, more than 15,000
times the HA and the highest of all groundwater samples at the base.

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90.

Sampling at both Cannon and Holloman is ongoing in an effort to more fully

characterize the extent of the groundwater contamination plumes and their migration outside of
the site boundaries.
STATUTORY AND REGULATORY BACKGROUND
91.

Congress enacted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) in 1976

in response to “a rising tide of scrap, discarded, and waste materials” that had become a matter of
national concern. 42 U.S.C. § 6901(a)(2), (4) (1984). In enacting RCRA, Congress declared it a
national policy “that, where feasible, the generation of hazardous waste is to be reduced or
eliminated as expeditiously as possible. Waste that is nevertheless generated should be treated,
stored, or disposed of so as to minimize the present and future threat to human health and the
environment.” 42 U.S.C. § 6902(b).
92.

Congress recognized, however, that the “collection of and disposal of solid wastes

should continue to be primarily the function of the State, regional, and local agencies. . . .” 42
U.S.C. § 6901(a)(4). Thus, RCRA allows any state to administer and enforce a hazardous waste
program subject to authorization from the EPA. 42 U.S.C. § 6926(b).
93.

RCRA includes a clear and unambiguous waiver of sovereign immunity:
Each [federal entity] engaged in [disposal or management of
hazardous waste] shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal,
State, interstate, and local requirements, both substantive and
procedural (including any requirement for permits or reporting or
any provisions for injunctive relief and such sanctions as may be
imposed by a court to enforce such relief), respecting control and
abatement of solid waste or hazardous waste disposal and
management in the same manner, and to the same extent, as any
person is subject to such requirements. . . . The United States hereby
expressly waives any immunity otherwise applicable to the United
States with respect to any such substantive or procedural
requirement (including, but not limited to, any injunctive relief,
administrative order or civil or administrative penalty or fine . . . ).

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42 U.S.C. § 6961.
94.

EPA authorized New Mexico’s state program pursuant to RCRA in 1985, 40 C.F.R.

§ 272.1601(a), and delegated to New Mexico “primary responsibility for enforcing its hazardous
waste management program.” 40 C.F.R. § 272.1601(b). New Mexico’s HWA and regulations
promulgated pursuant to it are incorporated by reference into RCRA. 40 C.F.R. § 272.1601(c)(1).
95.

The purpose of New Mexico’s HWA is to “ensure the maintenance of the quality

of the state’s environment; to confer optimum health, safety, comfort and economic and social
well-being on its inhabitants; and to protect the proper utilization of its lands.” § 74-4-2.
96.

Pursuant to the HWA, NMED is authorized to issue permits, § 74-4-4.2(C), and

must deny them if an applicant has made a material misrepresentation or has violated any provision
of the HWA, among other reasons. § 74-4-4.2(D).
97.

NMED may bring suit in the appropriate district court to immediately restrain any

person, including any past or present generator, past or present transporter, or past or present owner
or operator of a treatment, storage, or disposal facility, who has contributed to or is contributing to
the past or current handling, storage, treatment, transportation, or disposal of solid waste or
hazardous waste or the condition or maintenance of a storage tank that may present an imminent
and substantial endangerment to health or the environment. § 74-4-13.
98.

The HWA § 74-4-3(K) defines “hazardous waste” as:
[A]ny solid waste or combination of solid wastes that because of
their quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infections
characteristics may:
(1)
cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality
or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible
illness; or
(2) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health
or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported,

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disposed of or otherwise managed. ‘Hazardous waste’ does not
include any of the following, until the board determines that they are
subject to Subtitle C of the federal Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.: drilling
fluids, produced waters and other wastes associated with the
exploration, development or production of crude oil or natural gas
or geothermal energy; fly ash waste; bottom ash waste; slag waste;
flue gas emission control waste generated primarily from the
combustion of coal or other fossil fuels; solid waste from the
extraction, beneficiation or processing of ores and minerals,
including phosphate rock and overburden from the mining of
uranium ore; or cement kiln dust waste.
99.

New Mexico’s Legislature has granted wide latitude to its environmental programs

in order to ensure protection of its natural resources. New Mexico’s Environmental Protection
Regulations and the rulemaking procedures thereunder are to be “liberally construed to carry out
their purpose.” 20.1.1.108 NMAC.
CAUSE OF ACTION
First Cause of Action:
Violation of the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act
100.

All allegations above are incorporated herein as if specifically set forth at length.

101.

Defendants are a “person” under NMSA § 74-4-3(M).

102.

PFAS, as described herein, are discarded materials and each is a “solid waste” as

defined under the HWA, NMSA § 74-4-3(O), and a “hazardous waste” as defined under NMSA §
74-4-3(K).
103.

As a result of the releases of PFAS and other hazardous wastes at Cannon and

Holloman as described herein, Defendants have contributed to and will continue to contribute to
the past and present handling, storage, treatment, transportation, and/or disposal of solid or
hazardous waste which has or may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health
and/or the environment in violation of the HWA, § 74-4-13.

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104.

Conditions at Cannon and Holloman, as described herein, have presented or may

present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health and/or the environment via continued
migration of contamination in groundwater and/or drinking water at and around the Bases. In
addition to natural resources throughout the environment, members of the public and those living
in or visiting surrounding areas are or will be directly exposed to contaminants through all
pathways of migration.
105.

Although Defendants have acknowledged that the presence of PFOA and PFOS

presents an imminent and substantial danger at Cannon, Defendants have declined to take remedial
action required under the law.
106.

By reason of the foregoing acts and omissions of Defendants, the State is entitled

to an order for such relief as may be necessary to remedy the results of Defendants’ conduct. Such
relief includes but is not limited to injunctive relief compelling Defendants to take all steps
necessary to achieve permanent and consistent compliance with the HWA.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiff, the State of New Mexico, respectfully requests that the Court
enter judgment in its favor and against Defendants by granting relief as follows:
a. An order declaring that Defendants’ conduct violated the HWA;
b. Immediate injunctive relief requiring the abatement of ongoing violations of the
HWA, abatement of the conditions creating an imminent and substantial
endangerment, and to fund any costs associated with each compliance whether
incurred by the State or third parties performing abatement;
c. A permanent injunction directing Defendants to take all steps necessary to achieve
permanent and consistent compliance with HWA;
d. All available civil penalties under applicable statutes;

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e. The payment for past costs incurred by the State and not yet reimbursed by the
Defendants in connection with its oversight and efforts to obtain compliance with
the HWA in this matter;
f. A declaratory judgment providing the State with a mechanism for reimbursement
of future costs incurred by the State in connection with its oversight and efforts to
monitor compliance with the HWA in this matter;
g. A judgment awarding the State costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in
prosecuting this action, together with prejudgment interest, to the full extent
permitted by law; and
h. A judgment awarding the State such other relief as may be necessary, just, or
appropriate under the circumstances.

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Dated: March 4, 2019
Respectfully submitted:
HECTOR H. BALDERAS
NEW MEXICO ATTORNEY GENERAL

/s/ P. Cholla Khoury___________
P. Cholla Khoury
William G. Grantham
Assistant Attorneys General
ckhoury@nmag.gov
wgrantham@nmmag.gov
Post Office Drawer 1508
Santa Fe, NM 87504
(505) 717-3500
NEW
MEXICO
DEPARTMENT

ENVIRONMENT

/s/ Jennifer Hower____________________
Jennifer Hower
General Counsel
Christopher Atencio
Assistant General Counsel
Special Assistant Attorneys General
Jennifer.hower@state.nm.us
Christopher.atencio@statem.nm.us
New Mexico Environment Department
121 Tijeras Ave. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 222-9554
Fax: (505) 383-2064

Counsel for Plaintiff the State of New Mexico

26