The military acknowledged that Peterson Air Force Base may have contaminated drinking water near Colorado Springs

Associated Press

Aug. 17, 2016, 2:23 p.m.

DENVER (AP) — The military has identified six places on an Air Force base in Colorado where firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals may have escaped into the environment and made its way into drinking water in two nearby communities.

Officials on Wednesday recommended a follow-up investigation at Peterson Air Force Base, where the foam was used in firefighting drills and equipment tests.

The foam contained perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs. They’ve been linked to cancer and other illnesses.

The chemicals were found in water systems serving about 69,000 people in the city of Fountain and an unincorporated community called Security-Widefield.

The PFCs haven’t been definitively traced to Peterson, but its proximity to the affected water systems spurred the investigation.

The military is checking bases nationwide for possible releases of the foam into the environment.

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