Press Releases

SANTA FE, N.M. — Four years after the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire was finally contained, U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) is demanding greater accountability for the federal government’s use of wildfire retardants that may contain toxic metals.

Leger Fernández and House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) led a letter asking the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the prevalence and potential effects of toxic metals in fire retardants used by the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior. The letter was also signed by Representatives Judy Chu, Adelita Grijalva, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pablo José Hernández, Lateefah Simon and Sara Jacobs.

“Four years ago, the flames finally stopped. But for the families of Mora and San Miguel counties, this disaster did not end when the smoke cleared,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández. “It lives in contaminated wells, flood-scarred fields, empty foundations and the endless paperwork of survivors still waiting for FEMA to do its job. The federal government started this fire, and the federal government has a responsibility to answer every question about the harm it caused. We do not yet know whether fire retardants contributed to the heavy metals found in northern New Mexico’s groundwater. Our families should not have to wonder whether the water coming from their tap is safe to drink. Accountability means following the evidence, telling the truth and fixing what was broken.”

Federal agencies used 48.6 million gallons of fire retardant in wildfire operations in 2024 alone. One academic study estimated that aerial wildfire retardants released approximately 380,000 kilograms of toxic metals into the environment nationwide between 2009 and 2021.

Following the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, testing found elevated levels of heavy metals in groundwater in parts of northern New Mexico. The lawmakers’ letter does not draw a conclusion about the source of that contamination. Instead, it asks GAO to determine whether fire retardants could pose risks to communities, watersheds and wildland firefighters.

Specifically, the lawmakers ask GAO to examine:

• The prevalence of metals such as arsenic, antimony, lead, chromium and cadmium in fire retardants used by federal agencies;
• Potential health and environmental effects when retardants are deployed near watersheds and groundwater;
• Potential health risks for nearby communities and wildland firefighters;
• Safer alternatives that could reduce the introduction of toxic metals into the environment; and
• Best practices federal agencies should follow to protect human health and the environment.
  
  The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire began with two U.S. Forest Service prescribed burns that escaped control and merged. It became the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history, burning more than 340,000 acres before reaching full containment on August 21, 2022.

• Led passage of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act and secured a total of $5.45 billion to compensate survivors;
• Secured $140 million to rebuild and improve Las Vegas’ water treatment system after the fire threatened the city’s drinking-water supply;
• Helped secure $1 million through USDA to help eligible families in the Hermit’s Peak burn scar repair contaminated wells and home water systems;
• Secured an independent GAO investigation into the Forest Service’s prescribed-burn practices, which produced four recommendations to improve safety, staffing, oversight and accountability; and
• Repeatedly pressed FEMA and the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office to end unacceptable delays, provide transparent reports and deliver full compensation to survivors, especially total loss claimants.
  
  The full letter is available here.