Around 100 people gathered at the Selah Civic Center on Monday to raise concerns about PFAs, or “forever chemicals,” in their drinking wells. Many in the audience said they’re still waiting on solutions, nearly four years since they learned about the contamination.
In 2021, the U.S. Army began testing private wells in East Selah, after a plume of PFAs leached from the Yakima Training Center.
According to an earlier interview, Army leaders said PFAs were found close to a training area for troops. The chemicals likely came from firefighting foam that helped put out diesel fires at the Yakima Training Center nearly 30 years ago, a spokesperson said.
State leaders said they wanted to listen to residents’ continued concerns.
“No one should have to wonder whether or not their water is safe,” said Casey Sixkiller, director of the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Once PFAs enter the water system, he said, it stays there.
“ PFAS is (like glitter). For any of you who have kids and you've hosted a birthday party that had glitter, when the glitter is out, it's there forever. You find it for years,” Sixkiller said.
The Army is responsible for fixing the problem, Sixkiller said. However, the Trump administration announced plans to push back the compliance date for regulations for two of the most common types of PFAs, according to an Ecology spokesperson. The federal government would also like to reconsider current contamination limits for four other types of PFAS.
In addition, the federal government is considering rolling back funding. However, those potential cuts are still being hammered out.
PFAs are commonly found in some firefighting foams and industrial and household items, like grease- and water-resistant products. These chemicals can build up in people’s bodies. In addition to other health concerns, PFAs can increase risks for some cancers, thyroid problems and high blood pressure.
The Army installed Point of Entry Treatment, or POET, filtration systems at some homes, which filter water before it’s distributed throughout homes. The Yakima Health District also sampled wells and installed Point of Use filtration systems, which filter water just before it comes out of faucets. Then, funding ended early, said Kait Wolterstorff, the environmental health program manager for the Yakima Health district.
”That has left us with excess filter units. So if you've ever had a PFAs exceedance and you don't have a filter and you don't have a solution … you can pick up a free water filter, no strings attached,” Wolterstorff said at the meeting.
Just show a sample result with PFAs contamination above the contamination limits, she said.
Residents also raised concerns about potential federal funding cuts, which they said could delay the installation of new filtration systems. That could stall testing and any fixes.
East Selah resident Paul Rogers says his well tested positive at the lowest contamination limits.
Now, Rogers is asking the state for help.
“So where’s our hope? How do we find out how we’re going to get through this?” Rogers said during the meeting.
Once there is a better understanding of potential cuts, Sixkiller said, the state will have a better idea of how it needs to step in and help.
Representatives for U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse listened to people’s complaints. They were there, Sixkiller said, to help find a way for the U.S. Army to get the funding it needs to clean up the contamination.
At the meeting, people also said they were worried about not knowing the exact contamination levels in their wells. They said not having that information created an “ominous feeling.” Many people said their electric bills have increased since the POET filtration systems were installed. A lack of water pressure has made it difficult to run more than one appliance at a time, they said.
They also wanted to help find solutions, said Brandi Hyatt, who lives in East Selah. They’d like to start some sort of restoration advisory board, which she said the Army has denied because it said too few people signed up.
“If we had a space like that, we could hear the decisions and be a part of the voice of what's happening,” Hyatt said. “We don't have a space right now to say ‘yay or nay’ to the decisions that are being made for us as a community. We're just kind of being (told) this is what's good for you, so take it or leave it.”
One idea for a long-term fix: Wolterstorff said the health department is considering a public water system as a longer-term solution. The department is still looking at infrastructure possibilities.
“ Individual treatment systems that are being individually maintained isn't necessarily the best solution for the community,” Wolterstorff said.
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