MARTINSBURG, W.VA. (AP) — The Air Force has agreed to reimburse $4.9 million to the city of Martinsburg, West Virginia, for expenses related to the 2016 cleanup of hazardous chemicals from the city's water supply.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia announced the agreement Wednesday.
A statement released by Capito's office says the Environmental Protection Agency identified high levels of contamination linked to chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAs. The EPA mandated that additional water filtration systems be installed at a treatment plant.
The statement says the source of the contamination was revealed to be firefighting foam used by the Air National Guard at the Eastern Regional Airport.
Similar contamination has been found at dozens of military sites across the nation.
