KINGSVILLE, Texas — The United States Navy is on a mission to identify private water wells located near the various naval installations across the Coastal Bend. They are working with environmental agencies to test the drinking water for the presence of certain chemicals used by the Navy.
The Navy hosted an open house to provide more information for folks who live within a one mile radius of NAS-Kingsville. It's an area where the Navy has identified 32 private water wells.
It's up to the property owner if they wanted to sign up for the free testing.
"It's responsible of them to do so. Better to know than not know. Lets just see if there is anything there, highly unlikely," said resident Norma Martinez.
Martinez was one of several residents who signed up at the open house event to have their water wells tested to see if possible chemicals known as PFAS are at levels greater than the lifetime health advisory levels.
The chemicals can be found in firefighting foam that the Navy uses.
The chemicals are also used in household products like non-stick cookware and microwavable popcorn bags.
The fear is that the chemicals could have seeped into the ground and water supply and possibly ended up in private wells.
"Right now we have no data on the base either in the soil or ground water. We just have the potential for a release and the Navy's choice is to step out and make sure our neighbors drinking water source is perfect, in good shape or get them to that point before we do anything else in the facility," said James Spalding, the remedial project manager for Navy Facilities Engineering Command Southeast.
The Navy has already held similar meetings with residents who live near NAS-Corpus Chrsiti and Waldron Field.
About twenty property owners signed up for the testing in Kingsville.
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