Military Installations Offered Federal Assistance to Treat PFAS

PFAS contaminants can have detrimental long-term effects on those who ingest the forever chemicals. Over the past few years, countless military installations have discovered the contaminants in their water sources. The individual installations have done their best to combat the issues on their own, but now the federal government has gotten involved. Two pieces of legislation have been introduced to resolve the contamination issues in military bases across the country. The first is the “Clean Water for Military Families Act”, which will require DOD installations to investigate and treat PFAS contamination. $10 billion will be provided in a single payment for the project, financing the investigation and treatment.

The second piece of legislation is the “Filthy Fifty Act” which tackles a broader selection of installations. This bill focuses on the fifty bases across the country with the most severe cases of PFAS contamination. Then funding from the bill will assist in the effort to treat the water sources and clean the surrounding area. Senator Shaheen, one of the core propellants of the bill stated that PFAS exposure has caused too many health issues in military homes. She thanks her colleagues who supported the bill and have advocated for protecting military personnel. The bill marks a strong step in the right direction, showing federal willingness to fight PFAS contamination in the nation.