PFAS Toxic Exposure

[Redleg]

Despite knowing about the hazards of PFAS-based firefighting foam, the Defense Department continued
to use it for decades and now is fighting efforts to clean up legacy pollution.
On 8 JUN the “Filthy Fifty Act” and “Clean Water for Military Families Act” were introduced in the U.S.
Senate by Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, representing
the two states with the most contaminated bases. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters of Michigan
are co-sponsors. A companion bill is also being introduced in the U.S. House.
“We have seen the harmful effects of these toxic chemicals in New York, California, and across the
country,” said Gillibrand in a statement. “There is a clear link between the use of PFAS firefighting foam
on military bases and dangerous levels of PFAS in the drinking water of the surrounding communities.”
The legislation would authorize $10 billion starting for PFAS cleanups starting next fiscal year. It would
require the military to test all current and former bases and National Guard sites within two years, provide
safe drinking water within 60 days to people living around them, and complete construction of all
remediation systems within 10 years.
For bases on the “Filthy Fifty” list, the Department of Defense would have five years to complete
remedial construction. It would also require the military to comply with state environmental PFAS laws
that, in states like Michigan, are more stringent than existing federal guidelines. In Michigan, New York
and elsewhere, the military has based its actions on an unenforceable health advisory level of 70 parts-per-
trillion (ppt) for two PFAS compounds, PFOS and PFOA, in drinking water that was set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in 2016.
The threshold is widely criticized as offering inadequate exposure protection to vulnerable populations,
such as children and pregnant women, and states such as Michigan, New York, New Jersey, New
Hampshire and others have developed more stringent standards. Those rules are under attack from PFAS
manufacturers like 3M, which is seeking to invalidate them in court. The large class of fluorinated
chemicals have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, immune system suppression and other
chronic health problems. Bases on the Filthy Fifty list include:
 Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
 Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.
 Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
 Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado.
 Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois.
 Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina.
 Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.
 Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
 Eaker Air Force Base, Arkansas.
 Edwards Air Force Base, California.
 Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.
 Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.
 England Air Force Base, Louisiana.
 F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
 Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.
 Galena Air Force Base, Alaska.
 Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex, Texas.
 Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, New York.
 Horsham Air Guard Station, Pennsylvania.
 Iowa Air National Guard Base - Des Moines, Iowa.
 Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
 Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
 K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan.
 Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
 Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, California.
 Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
 Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina.
 Naval Air Station Alameda, California.
 Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.
 Naval Air Station Whidbey Island - Ault Field, Washington.
 Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California.
 Naval Research Lab Chesapeake Bay Detachment, Maryland.
 Nevada Air National Guard Base - Reno, Nevada
 Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York.
 Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.
 Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire.
 Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York.
 Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.
 Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Missouri.
 Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, West Virginia.
 Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
 Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
 Travis Air Force Base, California.
 Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
 Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
 Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
 Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts.
 Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
 Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan

Veterans and active duty MAY have claims for secondary issues from exposure so keep this list handy