PFAS Critical for Energy, Other Military Needs, Pentagon Says

PFAS used to make batteries, electronics, textiles, and an array of other goods are critical to national security even when the military is not the primary consumer, the Pentagon said in a recently released report to Congress.

The report, required by a provision in the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), bolsters semiconductor, medical equipment, and other manufacturers’ arguments that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remain essential to their products.

Critical uses of PFAS include “almost every major weapon system,” cooling systems, information technology, health care, renewable energy, transportation, machinery operations and maintenance, and textiles for ...