Dangerous levels of so called 'forever chemicals' have been discovered in a portion of the Glendale water supply. This is the latest water contamination disaster tied to a nearby Air Force base. The chemicals are thought to have leaked into the water supply from firefighting foam used at Luke Airforce Base. Commissioner Anna Tover, who herself has fought leukaemia as a result of chemical poisoning and Trevor Baggiore the Water Quality Division Director at AZDEQ weigh in.

SCRIPT:
SUBURBAN PHEONIX IS THE SITE OF THE NATIONS LATEST WATER CONTAMINATION DISASTER. SO CALLED 'FOREVER CHEMICALS' HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED IN A PORTION OF GLENDALE, AZ .. CLOSE TO LUKE AIR FORCE BASE. CORPORATION COMMISSIONER ANNA TOVAR KNOWS ALL TOO WELL THE DANGERS INVOLVED.



Commissioner Anna Tovar

19:43 - 20:05

"I myself in 2001 was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia and that was brought forward by a toxin that entered my body. So I tackled leukaemia not once, but twice because of this toxin and chemical, and I had to fight for my life in regards to something that entered my body. I just feel it is my responsibility to then trying to help and prevent this from happening to anyone else."



SADLY, THIS STORY IS BEING FELT IN NUMEROUS COMMUNITIES WHO FIND THEMSELVES LIVING CLOSE TO AIR FORCE BASES. THE COMPOUNDS ORIGINATING IN FIRE FIGHTING FOAM USED.


Commissioner Anna Tovar

00:08 - 00:30

"Two types of chemicals were used extinguish fires from jets that have been operating at Luke Air Force Base. They started with this chemical in around 1970s and actually finished and terminated with the actual chemicals in 2016. (-- I think this can be cut. So imagine all those years that they are using this type of chemical because it was a really good fix to actually just to turn out the fires very quickly.")



WHILE OFFICIALS DEAL WITH SOLVING THE PROBLEM FOR GOOD ..LUKE AIRFORCE BASE WILL BE PROVIDING BOTTLED WATER TO THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES UNTIL AT LEAST APRIL.



THESE POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING CHEMICALS WERE FOUND DURING TESTS OF WATER SUPPLIED BY VALLEY WATERS.



Commissioner Anna Tovar

06:30 – 07:00

"One of the water companies valley waters they've known since 2016. Because in 2016 The EPA did testing in all areas in Arizona specifically trying to figure out who potentially could have this forever chemical in the water system. At that time to a valley water well had tested positive over 70 parts per trillion."



THE COMPOUNDS, KNOWN COLLECTIVELY AS PFAS (pronounced peefas-not P.F.As) ARE NOT CURRENTLY REGULATED BY FEDERAL OR STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES.



BUT THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVEALED THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE CHANGING.



Trevor Baggiore / Water Quality Division Director AZDEQ

08:10 - 08:30

"So AZDQ has supported that and we're waiting for EPA. They've recently reaffirmed the decision to set a limit. And so we are letting E.P.A s expertise on the science behind setting a standard go forward. And we'll obviously, once they develop that standard, we'll implemented it in Arizona."