KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — Drinking water will be tested near a Kitsap County Navy base to determine if dangerous levels of contamination from firefighting foam are in the water.
The Navy brought in a team of experts to speak with concerned citizens who live near Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor and may be at risk.
"Should the public be concerned? Well, it’s been used extensively for over 50 years in many applications, not just used in the military, but used in the corporate world, as well,” said Capt. Richard Rhinehart, commanding officer at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.
The contaminants are known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are commonly called PFAS. They’re man-made chemicals that don’t break down.
For decades, they’ve been used in everything from food packaging to nonstick cookware, carpets and much more.
Near bases, the contamination could come from firefighting foam the Navy used for training, equipment testing and fire suppression.
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"Right now, we’ve stopped using it for training purposes, although we do still use it for emergency purposes only,” said Rhinehart.
No contamination has been found near Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, but well water samples will be taken from areas north and south of base that may be impacted.
The Navy sent out about 1,500 letters warning residents.
Henry Jenkins and Patricia Jacobsen received a letter. They stopped by Monday’s PFAS public meeting and signed up to have their water tested.
"We’ve been drinking the water for God knows how long, for the past nine years, anyways. You just kinda go, ‘Well, I hope they don’t find anything,’” said Jenkins.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said PFAS can interfere with the body’s natural hormones, increase cholesterol levels, affect the immune system and increase the risk of some cancers.
Rhinehart said PFAS is an emerging nationwide issue that Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor wants to identify and resolve right away.
A second public meeting will be held Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Silverdale Best Western, located at 3073 NW Buckling Hill Road.
Members of the Environmental Protection Agency, Washington Department of Health, Kitsap Public Health District, Naval Facilities and Engineering Command Northwest and Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor will be available to answer questions.
Testing will begin in about two weeks. Results should be available by the end of March.
Residents in the designated sampling area whose drinking water contains PFAS above the EPA lifetime health advisory will be given bottled water from the Navy until a long-term solution is implemented.
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