House Bill would affect contaminants found in JFTB well and drinking water

According to Stars and Stripes, two House lawmakers have called for reform on toxic fluorinated chemicals to help prevent further contamination at military bases throughout the country.

PFAs, also known as highly fluorinated chemicals, are a group of man-made substances able to withstand extreme changes in their surrounding environment. This molecular strength makes PFAS useful in products ranging from firefighting foam to waterproofing to microwavable popcorn packaging.

PFAS risks for military communities remain high largely because of the military’s continuing use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam.

“This is a national health crisis,” Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said during a news conference with Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., to announce their plan to combat the chemicals, commonly known as PFAS.  More than 100 Army installations were discovered to have drinking water contaminated with PFAS, according to a recent Army report.  The highest levels were found in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., National Guard’s Joint Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif., and Belmont Armory, Mich.