City of Litchfield Park leaders are set to review major environmental updates on two local groundwater contamination fronts, including a proposal to halt treatment for one chemical near city limits and a federal funding shortfall that has stalled the cleanup of toxic "forever chemicals" from nearby Luke Air Force Base.
Litchfield Park City Engineer Keith Drunasky is slated to present the updates during the 6 p.m. Wednesday night city council meeting.
According to city documents, the team managing the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport North Superfund site has formally proposed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allow them to suspend groundwater treatment for perchlorate.
The chemical, an oxidizer historically used in defense and aerospace manufacturing, can disrupt thyroid function.
Remediation teams have targeted perchlorate at the Main Treatment System south of Van Buren Street since a 2008 EPA mandate set an action limit of 14 micrograms per liter. Officials say the treatment has been effective; perchlorate concentrations in nearly all extraction wells fell below that threshold by 2019, and the chemical has not been detected above action levels in any monitoring wells since mid-2024.
The PGA North plume, contaminated with trichloroethylene, a liquid solvent linked to cancer, continues to retreat south and southwest away from Litchfield Park city limits. Dozens of extraction and injection wells remain in continuous operation within a mile of the city.
Testing for trichloroethylene will continue on a quarterly schedule, with officials stating there is currently no public exposure to the contaminated water, according to the plan.
While the decades-old PGA North cleanup shows progress, efforts to combat newer per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination linked to Luke Air Force Base have hit a financial wall.
Drunasky’s report states Luke Air Force Base officials have paused major remediation activities since summer 2025 due to a lack of federal funding. Military project managers indicated defense funds are unlikely to become available until fiscal year 2027.
The funding freeze threatens a congressionally mandated five-year review of the contamination, which is scheduled for completion by January 2027. Officials warned if federal funds are not allocated soon, the deadline will be missed and the cleanup will remain at a standstill.
The delays come despite data showing widespread PFAS contamination within city boundaries. Testing conducted by the Department of Defense between June 2024 and May 2025 revealed five out of six monitoring wells within Litchfield Park city limits tested positive for PFAS at or above maximum contaminant levels.
The highest concentrations were found in PFOA and PFOS, two compounds widely used in firefighting foam used during military training exercises.
Exposure to PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they do not naturally break down, has been linked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increased cancer risks and developmental issues.
Once funding is secured, the military's next step involves installing additional monitoring wells near the Valley Utilities service area and downgradient of the Glendale Avenue wastewater treatment plant through 2027.
Then it would work on broader risk assessments and project rankings to determine long-term remediation needs, a process officials estimate could take up to five years to fully implement.
James Goldmeer Reporter | Goodyear & Litchfield Park
Meet James James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.
Education: Northern Arizona University a bachelor's degree in Journalism, a certificate in Professional Communications, with a minor in English.
Random Fact: James spent half a year as an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives communication team, working with legislators to inform the public through press releases and social media.
Hobbies: James collects postcards and old books, reads memoirs and attends local jazz shows.
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