A ‘Long-Term Threat’ to Communities: Why New Mexico Is Suing the Air Force Over PFAS
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The fight against PFAS contamination is expanding. The New Mexico Environment Department and Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on June 23, 2025, against the U.S. Air Force over the spread of these potentially harmful chemicals.
The move comes almost a year after Cannon Air Force Base, which is located in Eastern New Mexico, released around 7,000 gallons of PFAS-containing water into a lined retention pond.
Following the release, the Air Force found that the pond’s liner had several tears and compromised points. This means chemical-containing water could have leaked into the ground.
“PFAS contamination poses a serious and long-term threat to our environment and our communities,” New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said in a statement. “New Mexicans deserve clean water, safe soil and a future free from toxic exposure.”
PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are nearly indestructible man-made chemicals that have been used in consumer products for decades. They were also used on military bases in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is a firefighting foam used for issues like gasoline fires.
Exposure to these chemicals, which have seeped into groundwater and impacted drinking water supplies across the nation, is tied to cancer and other serious health conditions.
The newly filed lawsuit claims that the Air Force has spent decades releasing PFAS into the environment. It comes as thousands of PFAS lawsuits are pending nationally.
Why New Mexico Filed Its PFAS Lawsuit Now
New Mexico believes it is in a position to take legal action in response to PFAS contamination thanks to a new state law.
In April, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 140. This move classified firefighting foams containing PFAS as hazardous waste, empowering the state’s Environment Department to deal with this issue directly.
However, the battle between the Air Force and the New Mexico Environment Department over chemical contamination goes back years. Since 2019, New Mexico has pushed for PFAS to be considered hazardous waste and regulated accordingly.
The state claims that PFAS released from Cannon Air Force Base have had devastating effects, creating a groundwater plume that has spread miles away and threatened surrounding areas.
In 2022, more than 3,500 dairy cows had to be euthanized after drinking contaminated water.
What New Mexico Hopes Its PFAS Lawsuit Will Accomplish
New Mexico has established several goals for its PFAS lawsuit, including ordering the Air Force to clean up existing pollution and possibly pay penalties.
The lawsuit also hopes to stop the use of AFFF at Cannon Air Force Base except in emergency situations. Preventive measures, like installing drinking water lines and stormwater controls, are also included.
“After years of contesting responsibility, today’s lawsuit puts every one of the Air Force’s excuses to rest,” Environment Department Secretary James Kenney said in a statement. “The Air Force has spent years contesting the Environment Department’s authority as opposed to any meaningful cleanup of the toxic PFAS contamination in local drinking water sources that serve both residents and dairy farmers.”
PFAS Lawsuits Are on the Rise
PFAS contamination is widespread. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that these chemicals can be found in the blood of nearly all Americans.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed over claims that PFAS exposure can lead to serious health problems. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has labeled one of the most commonly used types of PFAS as carcinogenic.
Cancers tied to PFAS exposure include kidney, testicular and thyroid.
Thousands of PFAS lawsuits have been grouped together before one judge in federal court, with a key trial involving kidney cancer scheduled for October. The judge overseeing these cases has urged both sides to reach a settlement before the trial.
