The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently submitted a budget request for PFAS cleanup at military installations. Despite the many dangers PFAS present to the environment and public health, the DoD is only asking for $1.6 billion, with less than $300 million allocated for PFAS cleanup. The Pentagon’s own 2022 estimate suggests that $38 billion will be needed to remove these toxic forever chemicals. At that rate, it would take DoD roughly 126 years to address PFAS contamination.
It should not take ‘forever’, or even more than a century, for the U.S. government to clean up these ‘forever chemicals.’ This dangerous contamination must be addressed more urgently.
DoD is entrusted with ensuring our nation’s safety and security. However, the longer PFAS contamination is allowed to enter our water and food chain, the more that people and our environment will pay a catastrophic price. There is no justification for delay or inadequate funding.
