Millennium High School, located a mere four miles from Luke Air Force Base in Goodyear, is set to become a ground zero for testing the presence of pervasive "forever chemicals" in the local groundwater. The Agua Fria Union High School District has greenlit the installation of a monitoring well as part of a comprehensive effort led by the US Air Force to address community concerns about the potential seepage of perfluorinated compounds, or PFAS, from base operations into the environment, ABC15 reported.
Board member Eric Cultum, who resides near Luke AFB, emphasized that water safety is paramount when it comes to the welfare of the children. "Simply as an individual board member and being a resident right next to Luke Air Force Base, naturally anything related to water is a safety issue for our children," Cultum told ABC15. The inception of PFAS, used since the 1970s primarily in firefighting foams at military bases, has led to significant environmental concerns, especially with studies linking high PFAS blood levels to increased risks of liver cancer and other ailments.
The Air Force has a history of addressing such issues in the area; previously, following pushback from locals within a mile of Luke AFB, who had to rely on bottled water for consumption, a new filter system was set up by the base to cleanse nearby wells. Deputy Superintendent of Operations at AFUHSD, Tom Huffman has tried to reassure the public that there's minimal risk posed to students. "Our students don't drink the water from that site. To my understanding, it's in the groundwater several hundred feet down or however that works. There is no risk to our students in any way," Huffman informed ABC15.
While the school district has approved the measure, it remains clear that the influence of the Air Force on surrounding neighborhoods remains an element for continued discussion. Cultum expressed an optimistic view on the relationship with the military faction, "I'm sure that they want what's best for the community, so we wait on them for information that's necessary if it impacts us as a district," he relayed optimism. According to plans shared with the district, the Air Force investigators will make periodic visits to collect water samples, with the federal government bankrolling the studies and divulging results to the district, the commitment expected to span at least a year, as reported by Your Valley.
