82 Organizations Urge Senate to Pass Strong Military Budget, with Protections from PFAS Contamination

Washington, DC-- Today, eighty two public health and environmental organizations sent a letter to Sen. Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, signaling concern about  proposals to remove critical provisions related to per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The groups stated they would oppose a bill that fails to include the provisions necessary to address the legacy of PFAS contamination on and near military sites. 

“Communities across the country are finding that their drinking water is contaminated with these “forever” chemicals, with military communities hit the hardest.  With the NDAA, Congress has a chance to take a big bipartisan step forward in addressing this public health crisis,” said Liz Hitchcock, Director of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families.  “In particular, they must put an end to the Catch 22 that keeps the Department of Defense from taking responsibility for cleaning up contaminated sites at or around military bases.”

The groups urged the Senate to retain provisions that would: quickly end military use of PFAS in firefighting foam and food packaging; require ground and drinking water quality monitoring for PFAS; require reporting of industrial discharges of PFAS; ensure safe and effective disposal and destruction of military PFAS wastes; accelerate PFAS cleanups at military facilities through the use of cooperative agreements; limit industrial discharges of PFAS; set a health-protective drinking water standard that protects vulnerable populations, including children; and provide funding for additional studies,data sharing, and remediation.

“The PFAS contamination crisis continues to grow, as communities in every state, including Oklahoma, struggle to protect people from these highly toxic chemicals,” said Environmental Working Group Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Scott Faber. “As the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Ihnofe has not only the power, but the responsibility to ensure the defense bill includes those key provisions that would begin cleaning up PFAS chemicals that seep from military installations into drinking water sources and put the health of millions of Americans at risk."

Included in the letter, the organizations asked Congress to designate PFAS as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (the Superfund law). The Department of Defense (DOD) has cited the absence of a “hazardous substance” designation when refusing to clean-up legacy PFAS pollution on or near military installations. 

“We know PFAS chemicals are toxic and endanger our health in the short and long-term. The ongoing use of PFAS foams by the military threatens servicemembers and their families, many who drank contaminated water for decades,” said Sonya Lunder, Senior Toxics Adviser at the Sierra Club. “We need accountability from the highest level-- steps to prevent toxic pollution in the first place and laws to hold polluters accountable. Congress must pass a strong military budget to address this contamination crisis.”

The full letter can be found here. 

BACKGROUND:

Military communities are among the most vulnerable to the risks of PFAS pollution—which include cancer, pregnancy complications, childhood illness, organ damage, and immunological effects. The DOD has required the use of PFAS in military firefighting foams for fifty years and estimates that there are more than 400 known or suspected military sites contaminated with PFAS. So far, PFAS has been detected in seven communities in Oklahoma, including six military installations.