January 29, 2015

Dennis McQuillan
New Mexico Environment Department
Environmental Health Division
P.O. Box 5469
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502

Dear Mr. McQuillan;

Thank you for providing the opportunity to comment on the NMED strategic plan draft regarding the Kirtland Air Force Base fuel spill cleanup. The Nob Hill Neighborhood Association is deeply concerned about the environmental impacts of this very large spill and urges all efforts possible to clean up and remove the contaminants before it reaches the Albuquerque and Bernalillo County water supply.

We agree with the stance of the Water Authority that zero contamination is the only acceptable level for EDB so we have concerns that NMED has not chosen zero as the acceptable benchmark.

We agree with the various approaches to the clean up as it is clear that only by using all available technologies will the spill be fully removed and cease to be a threat.

However, we are very concerned that there are no clear deadlines for any of the interventions. As a result there are no consequences for KAFB continuing its history of missing deadlines and benchmarks. We believe NMED must exert maximum pressure on KAFB and set firm deadlines and fines for failure to meet established targets.

There is great cynicism in the community regarding KAFB’s commitment to clean up this spill and our state government’s efforts to hold KAFB accountable. We urge you to revise your plan as we discuss above and make strides in building the confidence we need going forward.

Sincerely,  Susan Michie, President

**PLEASE DIRECT QUESTIONS & COMMENTS ABOUT THE KIRTLAND FUEL SPILL CLEANUP TO KURT KRUMPERMAN **