Chemicals that cause cancer may have leaked into Metro East St. Louis from the Scott Air Force Base, a report from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said.
This summer, an expanded site inspection is scheduled for the Scott Air Force Base to look for any chemical leaks, specifically chemicals known as PFAS. PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because it can take thousands of years to degrade them, the Belleville News-Democrat said.
The Air Force contacted Democrat U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's office this month with details on the leak at the base, Durbin told the newspaper. He also said his office contacted local elected officials to discuss what steps to take.
Col. Joseph Meyer, vice commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, told the Associated Press there is no concern in using tap water that is supplied by a municipality, but people should be concerned if they drink water from a private well located near the base.
Anyone within 1 mile southeast of the Scott Air Force Base is being contacted by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center.
Well water will be tested by the Air Force for PFAS levels, Meyer said.
If the water tests show levels above Environmental Protection Agency standards, those who drink well water should stop doing so. Cancer and birth defects can be caused by high levels of PFAS, the EPA said.
Meyer said the Air Force will provide free bottled water as it continues looking for a solution.
The Air Force plans on sending out surveys to those within a mile of the southeast of the base to determine how they use their well water. If the well water is contaminated, the Air Force will have to stay developing a permanent solution.
“If we know something, we will say something,” Meyer said in a statement sent to the AP. “We owe it to our neighbors and surrounding communities to be open to discussion based on the facts at hand.”
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