Fitzpatrick successfully secures federal review of toxic chemicals used at military bases

A bipartisan request earlier this year led by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) asking the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General to examine toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination has paid off.

The DOD Inspector General said on Tuesday that it plans to review and then have a report ready by January on PFAS, which are man-made chemicals that are widely used in products such as firefighting foam that is heavily used by the U.S. military. PFAS contamination has been found at more than 400 sites.

“I’m happy to see that the Inspector General will be further reviewing this issue and look forward to seeing their report,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick on Monday.

The forthcoming independent review follows a July request from Rep. Fitzpatrick and U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI), co-chairs and founders of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force, and more than 30 other lawmakers who asked the Inspector General to examine how long the military knew about the harmful side effects of PFAS, how DOD communicated the related risks to service members and their families, and how DOD plans to assess and solve the problem.

“It is unacceptable that the Defense Department put the health of Pennsylvania families at risk with these chemicals, whether it was intended or unintended,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Every American has a right to clean drinking water. The federal government created this health crisis and it is important that the government is starting to take responsibility.”

Rep. Kildee added that because DOD has used “these dangerous chemicals,” there are many service members and their families who may be at risk of exposure and the subsequent health effects.

“It’s long past time for the Defense Department to prioritize cleanup of these dangerous chemicals,” he said.