Thirteen Gulf Coast military bases and outlying fields have high levels of toxic “forever chemicals” in their groundwater. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in groundwater adversely affect Gulf fish and residents who subsequently consume contaminated seafood. The 13 DoD sites that have had serious levels of PFAS contaminations have been detected at Silverhill (Ala.) Navy Outlying Field; Corry Station, Pensacola, Fla.; Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field AFB, MacDill AFB, Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, NAS Pensacola-Bronson Field, NAS Pensacola-Saufley Field, Tyndall AFB, all in NW Florida; Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport (Miss.), Gulfport Regional Airport, Keesler AFB, Miss.; and NAS Corpus Christi. Texas. PFAS have been used since the 1940s, but recent studies have shown evidence of exposure to can lead to adverse human health effects. PFAS have been used in a variety of industries, including kitchenware and pizza boxes; and on DoD sites they are commonly found in firefighting foams. There is no currently federal regulations regarding standards of PFAS contamination in groundwater, but President Biden’s Environmental Justice Plan includes a pledge to establish “enforceable limits for PFAS in the Safe Drinking Water Act.” These recent contamination discoveries underscore the need for the DoD to conduct a swift PFAS cleanups, Jared Hayes, policy analyst at the EWG, wrote in his recent report regarding those contaminated sites. “Even at very low doses of PFAS in drinking water, our service members and their families are at risk of the suppression of their immune system and an elevated risk of cancer, increased cholesterol, and reproductive and developmental harms, among other serious health issues,” Hayes said in his analysis. (Source: Military Times 11/14/21) ‘Forever chemicals’ detected in groundwater from 13 DoD sites in Gulf of Mexico (militarytimes.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment