New Mexico environmental officials demanded Cannon Air Force Base justify its operating permit and pay nearly $100,000 over a chemical spill last summer.

At least 7,000 gallons of rinsate, a combination of rinse water and residue from firefighting foam were released into a retention pond in the fire training area at the Curry County military facility in July, the base said in a release.

In August, the base discovered the improper dumping of the rinsate. Further inspection by a third party found that the liner of the retention pond was torn in multiple places. Base officials said they didn’t expect off-base wells to be affected.

Yet the rinsate is toxic and has been linked to cancer, the New Mexico Environment Department said in a release Tuesday.

NMED officials said that in addition to the rinsate dump and improper maintenance of the retention pond, a groundwater plume came from the base and poisoned 3,500 dairy cows, leading to their euthanization.

“This reckless discharge is an example of Cannon AFB’s willful disregard for public health and environmental safety in the exact community in which they operate. Basic maintenance could have prevented this spill. The Air Force must now prove why the state should allow Cannon AFB to continue operating,” New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney said.

NMED demanded that base officials take immediate corrective action, compile an inventory of rinsate at the base and pay $98,780 to the state’s hazardous waste emergency response fund. The base has 30 days from Tuesday to pay or ask for a hearing.

The firefighting foam contained what are colloquially called forever chemicals and scientifically known as PFAS.

A Cannon AFB spokeswoman, Maj. Jaclyn Pienkowski, told NM Political Report that “Cannon AFB is committed to preventing future incidents from occurring and ensuring transparency of information regarding all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, inventory on base.”

Local officials defended the air base.

“It is a privilege to share community with these heroes, never mind the $570 million annual economic impact of Cannon on our eastern New Mexico economy. To speak so flippantly about Cannon is to completely disregard the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the 27th (Special Operations Wing) as they defend our nation,” Clovis Mayor Mike Morris told The Eastern New Mexico News.

Clovis is the seat of Curry County and the closest town to Cannon AFB.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.