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Hill Air Force Base tells South Weber council it has not found drinking water above new PFAS standards
Summary
Hill AFB project manager Jared Case briefed the city on the base's PFAS investigation, saying the Air Force has sampled private wells within a roughly four-mile radius and has not identified anyone drinking water above the EPA's 2024 MCLs; Case described the site as in the remedial-investigation phase under CERCLA and emphasized interim actions if exposures are found.
Jared Case, a project manager at Hill Air Force Base, told the South Weber City Council on May 20 that the base is in the remedial-investigation phase for PFAS contamination and has not identified any private wells with PFAS levels above the EPA's recently established maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). Case said the Air Force has been sampling roughly a four‑mile radius around the base and is prioritizing actions where people are exposed through drinking water.
"No 1 in or around Hill Air Force Base is drinking water for that has PFAS or PFOA from the air force that is above the MCLs that we're aware of," Case said during the presentation. He described PFAS as persistent "forever chemicals" linked to firefighting foam and said the Air Force has shifted from fluorinated foams to fluorine‑free alternatives.
Case walked the council through the CERCLA/Superfund process used for federal cleanups, saying the base has completed initial site-discovery steps and is conducting a remedial investigation to determine the nature and extent of contamination. He emphasized that, while the full cleanup and risk-assessment phases can take years, the Air Force performs interim actions immediately when it finds people drinking contaminated water.
Residents at the meeting criticized past cleanup efforts and funding levels. A resident who identified himself as Brent said historically small expenditures left the contamination unresolved. Case responded that the Air Force has taken interim measures at other bases and would do so if exposures are found here. The presentation closed with Case providing contact information and pointing to a quarterly restoration advisory board meeting for community updates.
The presentation and question-and-answer session left open several items for follow up: additional well installation to refine plume boundaries, continued sampling of private wells and surface water where possible, and coordination with state regulators and the EPA. Council members asked staff to continue tracking the investigation and to seek clarity on timelines for risk assessment and record-of-decision milestones.
