The Military is Contaminating California's Water, Soil, and Air
The contamination is caused by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, (PFAS).
These deadly "forever chemicals," and a host of toxic chemicals used on military bases, threaten public health.
The contamination is caused by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, (PFAS).
These deadly "forever chemicals," and a host of toxic chemicals used on military bases, threaten public health.
Routine firefighting exercises on military bases have poisoned groundwater.
The Pentagon's reckless use of fire-fighting foams containing cancer-causing agents has contaminated California's soil, groundwater, and surface water. The military has been poisoning California with these fluorinated surfacants for the last 50 years. They're covering it up and they're lying about it.
The foam contains Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and 5,000 other chemicals. PFAS has been linked to a host of cancers and adverse developmental effects on the unborn. It contributes to a host of childhood diseases. This stuff will dwarf the impact of Agent Orange DDT and asbestos combined.
PFAS are known as "forever chemicals." Unlike other chemicals, they don't break down in the human body. Instead, they accumulate over a lifetime.
The Notification Level for PFOA in the Golden State has been lowered from 14 parts per trillion (ppt) to 5.1 ppt and the Notification Level for PFOS has been lowered from 13 ppt to 6.5 ppt. These are the lowest levels at which they can be reliably detected in drinking water using current technology. Meanwhile, municipal water systems throughout the state are struggling to provide drinking water that is not contaminated with these carcinogens. The state recently tested 568 municipal wells and found that half were contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals.
The EPA and Congress have allowed the military to continue using the carcinogenic foam while its use is being discontinued throughout the world. It is the loss of the EPA as a functioning regulatory authority and the influence of the chemical industry in Congress that has led the state of California to order the state’s water systems to establish the nation’s lowest notification levels for dangerous PFAS in drinking water.
Two of the deadliest PFAS are Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA).
The foam contains Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and 5,000 other chemicals. PFAS has been linked to a host of cancers and adverse developmental effects on the unborn. It contributes to a host of childhood diseases. This stuff will dwarf the impact of Agent Orange DDT and asbestos combined.
PFAS are known as "forever chemicals." Unlike other chemicals, they don't break down in the human body. Instead, they accumulate over a lifetime.
The Notification Level for PFOA in the Golden State has been lowered from 14 parts per trillion (ppt) to 5.1 ppt and the Notification Level for PFOS has been lowered from 13 ppt to 6.5 ppt. These are the lowest levels at which they can be reliably detected in drinking water using current technology. Meanwhile, municipal water systems throughout the state are struggling to provide drinking water that is not contaminated with these carcinogens. The state recently tested 568 municipal wells and found that half were contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals.
The EPA and Congress have allowed the military to continue using the carcinogenic foam while its use is being discontinued throughout the world. It is the loss of the EPA as a functioning regulatory authority and the influence of the chemical industry in Congress that has led the state of California to order the state’s water systems to establish the nation’s lowest notification levels for dangerous PFAS in drinking water.
Two of the deadliest PFAS are Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA).
The Notification Level for PFOA in the Golden State has been lowered from 14 parts per trillion (ppt) to 5.1 ppt and the Notification Level for PFOS has been lowered from 13 ppt to 6.5 ppt. These are the lowest levels at which they can be reliably detected in drinking water using current technology. Meanwhile, municipal water systems throughout the state are struggling to provide drinking water that is not contaminated with these carcinogens. The state recently tested 568 municipal wells and found that half were contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals.
The new notification levels reflect the state’s recognition that the smallest amounts of these substances endanger human health. In fact, Harvard scientists say 1 ppt of PFAS in drinking water is potentially dangerous. State water officials say the new levels are “intended to protect against cancer and non-cancer effects, including effects on the liver and immune system.”
Effective January 1, 2020, water systems must notify local government if the limits are exceeded. The State Water Board recommends that water agencies also notify customers and the California Division of Drinking Water (DDW).
Effective January 1, 2020, water systems must notify local government if the limits are exceeded. The State Water Board recommends that water agencies also notify customers and the California Division of Drinking Water (DDW).
