The Pentagon moves to stop using forever chemicals
Purchases of firefighting foam for military bases must be PFAS-free, per new Department of Defense guidelines.
In a key action to prevent further contamination of our drinking water, the Pentagon issued new military specifications (“mil-spec”) last Friday which state that firefighting foam purchased for military bases must be free of PFAS.
After mounting evidence of PFAS contamination of water from military bases, Environment America and our allies convinced Congress to direct the Pentagon to phase out firefighting foam with forever chemicals. The new DoD mil-spec is a crucial step in carrying out those marching orders from Congress.
Firefighting foam is a significant pathway for PFAS contamination of drinking water sources. Once toxic foam is sprayed on the ground (often during training exercises), it can easily wind up in nearby rivers, streams or groundwater.
While the military is finally marching in the right direction, we are now calling on civilian airports and fire departments to switch to PFAS-free foam as well.
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