LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County has been added to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s list of PFAS contamination sites.
“We know that the firefighting foam that carries PFAS has been used to save lives at Fort Indiantown Gap over the years,” the public affairs office wrote in an email to FOX43. “Drinking water wells on Fort Indiantown Gap were tested in 2017. The level of PFAS found in the one well that tested positive at Fort Indiantown Gap was less than three parts per trillion – a nearly undetectable level and significantly lower than EPA’s current lifetime health advisory (LHA) level of 70 parts per trillion.”
According to the public affairs officer, the well that tested positive is located in the installation’s training corridor to the north of post, between Blue and Second Mountains. That well provides water to a small building that’s not routinely used, the public affairs officer added.
The public affairs officer noted that other drinking water wells have tested negative for PFAS.
Testing was conducted this summer and another round is planned for next summer.
“While there is no known immediate reason for concern for the service members or the public adjacent to Fort Indiantown Gap, proactive and ongoing testing will continue as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) process,” the public affairs officer concluded.
