New Legislation to Clean Up PFAS at Military Installations with High Levels of Contamination
U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan joined Senators Alex Padilla and Kirsten Gillibrand in introducing two pieces of legislation, the Clean Water for Military Families Act and the Filthy Fifty Act.
These pieces of legislation would direct the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify and clean up per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at U.S. military installations with some of the highest detections, which impacts drinking water supplies, reported Senator Shaheen’s website.
The Clean Water for Military Families Act would require the DOD to investigate and remediate PFAS contamination at and surrounding DOD installations in the U.S. and state-owned National Guard facilities as well, according to Senator Shaheen’s website. The bill authorizes a one-time, $10 billion investment for the investigations and clean-up.
The Filthy Fifty Act would help expedite the testing, cleanup, removal and remediation of PFAS at all U.S. military installations and State-owned National Guard facilities by setting testing and cleanup deadlines for PFAS remediation at the most contaminated DOD sites in the country. The bill establishes a list of “priority installations” with 50 bases in the U.S. that have among the highest detections of PFAS.
“For too many of our service members and their families, PFAS exposure has exposed them to serious health concerns and anxiety. It is critical that we take every step necessary to prevent and remediate contamination by these toxic chemicals at the bases and communities where our military families live and work,” said Senator Shaheen on her website. “I’m proud to introduce these two pieces of legislation with Senators Padilla and Gillibrand to help clean up military bases infected by PFAS contamination and protect the health and wellbeing of our service members and their loved ones.”
