The Department of Defense (DOD) has over 700 U.S. military sites that are known or likely to have discharged toxic fluorinated "forever chemicals" known as PFAS. Environmental Working Group (EWG) has independently identified 710 military sites with known or suspected PFAS Discharges. An EWG analysis found that 266 military sites have groundwater levels of PFOA or PFOS that are unsafe according to the EPA's updated health advisory levels. Alarmingly, 69 sites had already reported unsafe levels of these chemicals in the drinking water. Those familiar with the water contamination at Marine Corps Base Lejeune know that PFAS are not the only contaminants of concern at many DOD installations. We are working with Veterans, civilians, and families suffering from blood cancers and other serious health conditions likely related to the contaminants of concern commonly found—a list that includes multiple known human carcinogens.

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All eight of the PFAS commonly found on military sites are known to be associated with serious health conditions, including immunotoxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, increases in cholesterol, alterations in hormone levels, and increased cancer risk. Despite the risks, more than 400 DOD installations and surrounding communities remain contaminated by PFAS. Recent findings suggest that DOD cleanup funding has not kept pace with expected cleanup needs. Although funding has already proven inadequate, the House version of the DOD spending bill proposed for Fiscal Year 2024 would cut funding for cleanup of toxic pollutants by roughly 30 percent. And despite the known harms to human health and decades of exposure at many sites; most Veterans are still unable to get blood testing for PFAS exposures or benefits from service connection related to these stateside exposures. This is not to mention that the impacted families and civilians are entirely left behind after being exposed—even while they also suffer the dire and potentially deadly consequences from their exposure.