Hundreds of military
installations show unsafe levels of toxic “forever chemicals” in their ground
water, including a handful along the Chesapeake Bay, according to a study
released Wednesday by the Environmental Working Group.
Using Defense Department records,
researchers noted that there are eight bases with between 0.8 and 2.2 million
parts per trillion of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, compared to the
Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended limit of 70 parts per trillion.
“The chemicals have seeped into
the bay, affecting its wildlife, and potentially harming residents’ food supply
and livelihoods,” according to the report. “The contamination underscores the
need for swift DoD cleanup.”
Affected sites include Aberdeen
Proving Ground, Naval Research Laboratory Blossom Point, Martin State Airport
Air National Guard Base, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, the Naval Academy
and Naval Research Laboratory Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, as well as Joint Base
Langley-Eustis and Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia.
Five of those installations show
PFAS contamination above 70 parts per trillion.
Langley, home to Air Force
fighter squadrons, reported the highest contamination rate, at more than 2.2
million parts per trillion. PFAS contamination in the military is largely
attributed to the used of aqueous film-forming foam, a flame retardant used to
put out aircraft and vehicle fires.
All of the sites, save Aberdeen
and Blossom Point, are in some stage of remediation, whether it’s
investigations or assessments.
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