DOD releases PFAS task force progress report

March 13, 2020

Read the full article by David Vergun (DOD News)
"A Defense Department task force released a progress report today on its efforts to address PFAS. The report summarizes the task force's accomplishments since its establishment in July and its planned activities moving forward.

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper created the PFAS task force to ensure a coordinated, aggressive and holistic approach to departmentwide efforts to address these chemicals, a defense official said. The task force's priorities include:

Ensuring consistent investigation and cleanup of past releases;
Researching a PFAS-free firefighting foam;
Providing information on health effects to DOD stakeholders; and
Coordinating DOD efforts with other federal agencies.

The report covers various DOD activities related to PFAS, including the department's actions to address PFAS in drinking water. The report says that where DOD is the known source of drinking water, no one on or off-base is drinking water above the Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion. Where levels exceed EPA's HA, DOD has provided bottled water and filters and has taken other actions as appropriate..."