NEW MEXICO'S HISTORY WITH THE U.S. MILITARY PREDATES EVEN STATEHOOD IN 1912.

THAT RELATIONSHIP INTENSIFIED LEADING UP TO WORLD WAR II AND THEN DURING THE COLD WAR.

TODAY, THE STATE AND THE MILITARY SEEM FOREVER ENTWINED BUT AS TIMES HAVE CHANGED SO TOO HAS WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HOW LABS AND MILITARY BASES IMPACT OUR LAND, OUR AIR AND OUR WATER.

KATE ADVISES KIRTLAND ON CLEANING UP ITS POLLUTION.

WILL BACK IN 1953 WHEN WE BUILT THE FUELING FACILITIES THAT FUELS OUR AIRPLANES HERE, THEY WEREN'T EXACTLY THINKING ABOUT GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION OR LEAKING PIPES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT WAS THE 50'S AND PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT.

IN 1999, EMPLOYEES NOTICED STAINS IN THE SOIL AROUND JET FUEL TANKS AT KIRTLAND.

THEY RAN PRESSURE TESTS AND NOTIFIED THE NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT.

IT CAME OUT THEN.

FOR 40 YEARS, JET FUEL HAD BEEN LEAKING INTO THE GROUND.

AND SEEPING 500 FEET BELOW TO THE AQUIFER THAT SUPPLIES WATER TO NEW MEXICO'S LARGEST CITY.

ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE OR EDB, BECAUSE WHO WANTS TO SAY ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE A LOT, RIGHT, LEAD WAS THAT SCAVENGER IN AVIATION GAS AND IT IS VERY WATER SOLUBLE.

IT DOESN'T LIKE TO ATTACH TO SOIL.

BACTERIA DON'T LIKE TO EAT IT.

AND SO WHEN IT GETS IN WATER IT DOESN'T LIKE TO GO INTO VAPOR PHASE.

IT WANTS TO RUN WITH THE WATER.

THAT IS JUST WHAT IT DID.

TODAY THAT PLUME LIES BENEATH ALBUQUERQUE AND THE AIR FORCE BASE STRETCHING OVER A MILE LONG.

THERE ARE ABOUT 150 MONITORING WELLS TO TRACK THE PLUME AND MAKE SURE THAT CANCER CAUSING TOXINS DON'T REACH WATER PUMPED FOR DRINKING.

DIANE IS THE ALBUQUERQUE WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER.

THE PLUME IS -- THE AERIAL EXTENT OF IT GOES FROM THE AIR FORCE BASE, WHERE THE GIANT WHITE TANKS ARE, THE PLUME IS JUST A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF THOSE, NOT TOO FAR, AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY OFF BASE INTO NOT QUITE CATHERINE AND IT WEST OF LOUISIANA AND EAST OF SAN MATEO.

SINCE 2015, THE AIR FORCE HAS BEEN TREATING THE PLUME NORTH FROM THE BASE, UNDER THE RIDGECREST NEIGHBORHOOD.

GOVERNMENT WELLS PUMP THE WATER AND PIPE IT HERE TO THE BULK FUEL FACILITY.

FILTERS CLEAN THE WATER AND RETURN IT TO THE AQUIFER THROUGH INJECTION WELLS OR USE IT TO IRRIGATE THE BASE'S GOLF COURSE.

THAT PROCESS HAS REDUCED POLLUTION IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE PLUME.

SOUTH OF RIDGECREST IS A DIFFERENT STORY.

THE PLUME OF CONTAMINATION THAT IS SOUTH OF RIDGECREST, ACTUALLY HAS MORE CONSTITUENTS IN IT THAN JUST ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE.

WE TRACK IT BASED ON BENZENE MOSTLY.

THE BENZENE MOVES WITH THE GROUNDWATER UNTIL THE BACTERIA REALLY STARTED TO GET TO IT AND KIND OF SLOWED IT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE CONTAMINANTS IN THE GROUNDWATER AND THE SOIL AND IN THE VAPOR HERE AS COMPARED TO THAT ONE CONSTITUENT OFF BASE.

MAGGIE HART STEBBINS IS A BERNALILLO COUNTY COMMISSIONER.

SHE ALSO SITS ON THE BOARD OF THE WATER AUTHORITY WHICH HAS ALREADY SPENT MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS ON TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND STAFF TIME SPENT FOLLOWING THE CLEAN-UP PROCESS.

I REPRESENT THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SURROUND THE AIR FORCE BASE AND SO THEY HAVE CLEARLY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT IS THE HEALTH IMPACT TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

IS THERE CONTAMINATION IN THE WATER?

IS THERE FUMES THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTING THEIR HEALTH?

NO ONE IS DRINKING THE CONTAMINATED WATER.

THE CITY DOESN'T PUMP WATER FOR ITS SYSTEM FROM THOSE AREAS IT KNOWS ARE POLLUTED BUT THE WATER AUTHORITY WANTS MORE INFORMATION FROM THE AIR FORCE.

WE HAD THIS HONEYMOON PERIOD WHERE THE AIR FORCE WAS MAKING ALL THE DATA AVAILABLE CERTAINLY TO OUR EXPERTS AT THE WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY.

AND WE DO HAVE CONCERNS OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE LAST 18 MONTHS, THAT IT SEEMS THAT ACCESS TO THE DATA IS BEING CLOSED DOWN.

THE WATER AUTHORITY IS NOT A REGULATOR.

IT CAN'T TELL THE AIR FORCE WHAT TO DO.

WE ALL SUPPORT THE AIR FORCE' EFFORTS TO DO THIS PROPERLY AND QUICKLY BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO VERIFY WHAT IS HAPPENING AND IF WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA, THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE.

HART STEBBINS WANTS TO MAKE SURE THE PLUME IS SHRINKING AND THAT HARD DATA FROM MONITORING WELLS SHOWS IT AS OPPOSED TO MODELS OR FORECASTS.

I THINK IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US WHO LIVE HERE AND HOPE TO STAY HERE THAT WE KNOW THAT WHAT THE AIR FORCE IS SAYING IS ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE.

SHE ADDS, AND THE AIR FORCE SAYS, TOO, THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MILITARY AND COMMUNITY HAS HAD ITS UPS AND DOWNS, BUT THEY BOTH SAY EVERYONE HAS THE SAME GOAL, CLEANING UP THE CONTAMINATION.

LINDA SAYS THE MILITARY IS CLEANING UP THE WATER TO WHAT ARE CALLED NO DETECT LEVELS BUT THE WATER AUTHORITY IS STILL WORRIED.

THERE IS THIS AREA BETWEEN NON-DETECT AND THE FEDERAL STANDARD.

WE WANT NON-DETECT.

THAT IS WHERE WE ARE MOST CONFIDENT.

OUR POSITION IS THAT OUR CITIZENS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DRINK ANY AMOUNT OF ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE.

THE AUTHORITY HAS SAID PUBLICLY, IT WON'T SERVE WATER CONTAINING EDB TO ITS CUSTOMERS AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CLEAN UP A MILITARY FUEL LEAK THAT STARTED IN THE 1950'S.

WE ARE LEARNING MORE ALL THE TIME ABOUT OR GROUNDWATER AND ABOUT THE CHEMICALS THAT CAN POLLUTE IT, WHETHER EDB OR OTHER EMERGING CONTAMINANTS.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT AS THE CLIMATE WARMS AND OUR WATER CHALLENGES INTENSIFY INTO THE FUTURES, PROTECTING EVERY DROP MATTERS, WHETHER IT IS DRINKING WATER OR NOT.

FOR NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, AND OUR LAND, I AM LAURA PASKUS.