Groups ready to sue over fuel spill at New Mexico air base

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A coalition of state lawmakers and nonprofit groups took the first step toward suing the U.S. Air Force on Friday, saying it wants firm deadlines for cleaning up jet fuel contamination at a base bordering New Mexico's largest city.

The coalition filed a notice of intent to sue , saying the contamination at Kirtland Air Force Base near Albuquerque is a danger to public health and the environment. It wants an agreement that sets a cleanup schedule with clear deadlines and penalties.

"If the deadlines are missed without good reason, penalties should accrue. The Air Force needs to be held accountable," said Charles de Saillan, staff attorney at the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, which is representing the coalition.

Air Force officials say they're committed to cleaning up the contamination.

A fuel leak — believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades — was detected in 1999. The Air Force already has spent $125 million cleaning up soil and water around the site, but the coalition contends there are no enforceable requirements in place.

While state and military officials say drinking wells are protected, community watchdog groups argue that there are gaps in the data. They are pushing for an independent review of the yearslong, multimillion-dollar cleanup project.

To keep the contamination from spreading beyond the boundaries of the base and toward drinking water wells, the Air Force installed a pump-and-treat system in 2015.

More than 585 million gallons (2.2 million liters) of water have been extracted, treated to less-than-detectable concentrations of contamination and either used to water a golf course or injected back into the aquifer.

More than 4,200 tons (3,810 metric tons) of contaminated soil also was removed and...