The Defense Department has certified laboratories and set final protocols to start testing firefighters on Oct. 1 for chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, used in firefighting foam.
- Both military and civilian personnel will be screened, Maureen Sullivan, deputy assistant secretary of defense for environment, said
- NOTE: PFAS chemicals never degrade and have polluted military bases across the country; Pentagon estimates $3 billion in cleanup costs
- Six department projects are underway to find alternatives to PFAS foam
- Cleaning of existing equipment so it can be reused could cut costs, according to Sullivan. “If we can clean the...