PFAS Contamination on Military Bases Is A Scary Reality—And For Me, It’s Personal

Across the country, families are exposed to dangerous chemicals in their water—and the families most at risk are those living on or near military bases.
Their ability to repel oil and water and persist at high temperatures makes them attractive for use in everyday items like nonstick cookware and food packaging, in water-repellent gear, and in firefighting foam used primarily by the US military.
UCS recently released a factsheet that investigated PFAS contamination at US military bases, and the results were unsettling.
A new report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) says that the threshold for danger from PFAS starts much lower than previously suspected—and that sites across the country are at risk.
Unfortunately, this does not come as a surprise to me.
Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), UCS obtained email correspondence between the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of Defense (DoD).
These emails suggested that the administration was interfering with the release of the ATSDR report on PFAS.
Fortunately, the administration’s attempt to bury the PFAS report has backfired, drawing more attention to the issue.
If we’re not listening to science and basing our decisions on the best available information, public health and safety can be compromised and the public’s ability to engage meaningfully suffers.
Members of the military and their families deserve better than having the risks they face concealed.

Learn More