The defense department has only looked at about one-third of more than 700 facilities suspected of having contaminated the ground with PFAS. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Plumes of ‘forever chemicals’ from at least 245 sites are contaminating water for nearby communities
Plumes of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” flowing from at least 245 US military bases are contaminating or threatening to pollute drinking water for nearby communities, and hundreds more are likely at risk across America, a new Department of Defense report finds.
The number of communities threatened by the military’s pollution is likely to increase as further more investigations are carried out. The defense department has only looked at about one-third of more than 700 facilities suspected of having contaminated the ground with PFAS.
While the report acknowledges the pollution, it does not clarify which drinking water sources are polluted, how high PFAS levels are in the polluted water systems, or provide information about the plumes’ locations.
The sheer number of bases and the lack of clarity is “shocking”
—Scott Faber
The sheer number of bases and the lack of clarity is “shocking”, said Scott Faber, the vice-president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group non-profit, which tracks military PFAS pollution.
“A good neighbor would let you know that their use of PFAS was the reason your water was contaminated, and a bad neighbor would only tell you: ‘Hey, a plume is heading in your direction,’” Faber said.
The defense department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 15,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. They have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems.
They are dubbed “forever chemicals” because most do not degrade in the environment.
The military is considered one of the largest PFAS polluters in the world, largely due to its use of […]
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