The Navy has decided to extend the testing window to determine if drinking water supplies have been affected by past Navy fire-fighting operations in Down East Carteret County.
More than 250 well water samples have been collected so far in the area surrounding Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field Atlantic. Test results identified two wells with samples containing perfluoroalkyl substances that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lifetime health advisory. The Navy is providing bottled water for the owners of those two wells. Cherry Point Spokesperson Mike Barton says there’s no record that the chemicals were used at MCOLF Atlantic, and initial testing of the drinking water on the airfield showed no contamination from these substances. Further investigation will be conducted on the airfield to identify potential on-base sources and determine groundwater characteristics.
