August 17, 2016 - 3:21 PM
DENVER - The Latest on water contamination near an Air Force base in Colorado (all times local):
4:20 p.m.
Colorado health officials say it's highly likely that trace amounts of toxic chemicals found in three drinking water systems came from firefighting foam used at a nearby Air Force base.
The state Department of Public Health and Environment said Wednesday that it hasn't ruled out other sources, but at least some of the chemicals probably came from Peterson Air Force Base, where firefighters used the foam in training.
It contained perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs. They've been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
PFCs were found in water systems serving about 69,000 people in the city of Fountain and an unincorporated community called Security-Widefield.
The statement by Colorado officials was the most definitive linking the contamination to the base.
Earlier Wednesday, the military identified six sites at Peterson where the foam may have escaped into the environment.
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1:10 p.m.
The military has identified six places on an Air Force base in Colorado where firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals may have escaped into the environment and made its way into drinking water in two nearby communities.
Officials on Wednesday recommended a follow-up investigation at Peterson Air Force Base, where the foam was used in firefighting drills and equipment tests.
The foam contained perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs. They've been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
The chemicals were found in water systems serving about 69,000 people in the city of Fountain and an unincorporated community called Security-Widefield.
The PFCs haven't been definitively traced to Peterson, but its proximity to the affected water systems spurred the investigation.
The military is checking bases nationwide for possible releases of the foam into the environment.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016