The Honoring Our PACT Act was passed on August 10, 2022. This bill is the most comprehensive piece of legislation for toxic exposure on our veterans to date. This bill is mostly for those impacted by burn pits during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). So, guess what was dropped from this bill along the way? A registry for toxic exposures, more specifically perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminating drinking water, was located on stateside military installations. These toxins came from the firefighting foam that the Department of Defense uses often in training and real-life incidents. The PFAS contamination is like Camp Lejeune but widespread across this country.
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 included a section that provides $517 million to clean up PFAS. But our military is still using these toxins and is supposed to phase out the fire fighting foam that contains PFAS by the fiscal year 2025.
In the last few weeks, new reports have been released that show PFAS chemicals are still contaminating the water supply on our military installations. The EPA stated that the levels of PFAS are safe under 70 parts per trillion (PPT), and last October Naval Air Station at Washington State’s Whidbey Island contained 4,720 ppt. Then last January, these toxins reached 500 ppt on Washington State’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord-Yakima Training Center.
This toxin does not break down over time and is called ‘forever chemicals” because they build up in the human body and environment. PFAS exposure can cause liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression, and cancer. It also causes an increased risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women (which can be fatal) and decreased infant birth weights.
What is so frustrating is that Senator Tester and Senator Moran boast on many occasions that they support our military and all veterans but removed an important piece of legislation that not only impacts our veterans but their families as well.
This is what Senator Moran states on his webpage: “There is no group of Americans I hold in higher regard than veterans, our nation’s heroes. During my time in Congress – as a member of both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees – I have made improving the quality of life for the nearly 200,000 veterans living in Kansas a top priority.” Well, it seems Senator Moran does not care about almost 91,000 people that live on the three bases that have confirmed PFAS contamination.