According to NPR, PFAS are chemicals found in many consumer products that are extremely difficult to eradicate because they are resistant to water, oil, and heat. These chemicals are also difficult to remove from the body. No significant research has been done on PFAS, but scientists are trying to change that. The same NPR report said that early studies found “a possible link” between PFAS and medical conditions such as kidney cancer and thyroid disease.
Test after test determined that the Benetucci farm’s crops forever contained chemicals. The Air Force base and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ordered the farm to stop producing all food crops.
“People are finding out their drinking water is contaminated. It’s a really bad day,” Clark said.
Since the contamination, CBS Colorado reported in 2023 that the U.S. Air Force paid $9 million for a new water treatment facility to remove PFAS from the water.
PFAS contamination also meant there was great fear in the community, Clark added, and Benetucci Farms’ business, which is a staple for many people in the area, suffered because people didn’t know what the effects of the eternal chemicals would be.
For years, PPREF didn’t know what to do, Clark said. They commissioned land surveys and recruited college students to come to the Benetucci farm. They thought students might bring creative solutions.
In 2020, McComsey and her two sisters approached PPREF with the idea of growing flowers on the farm so customers could pick their own and create their own bouquets.
Makamsey and her team still face limitations from persistent PFAS. Expansion of farm operations, such as growing vegetables or bringing chickens and other animals onto the farm, are not on the table. Tests revealed that chicken eggs were also contaminated with PFAS.
Instead, McComsey and her sister, Abby Remakle, sell flowers and host a weekly “Music and Blooms” event every Tuesday night during the summer, inviting community members to enjoy the beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains from their farm and listen to local musicians perform.
“Being able to truly focus on cut flowers allows us to develop ourselves and become experts at what we do,” McComsey said.
