Read the full article by Hiroko Tabuchi (The New York Times)
“In December, Representative Jack Bergman of Michigan, a staunch ally of President Trump and MAGA defender, took to the House floor to praise America’s military might, lauding its ‘will to face down potential aggressors.’
Then his speech took an unexpected turn, to pollution.
‘We have much more to do,’ he said. High on his list: cleaning up PFAS, the harmful ‘forever chemicals’ that pollute hundreds of military sites nationwide. The Pentagon must prioritize ‘delivering environmental stewardship to communities impacted by PFAS,’ Mr. Bergman said.
In a fiercely divided Washington, there is bipartisan anger at the stalled progress in cleaning up toxic chemicals at military bases. The delays have emerged as a rare issue uniting Democrats and Republicans in their criticism of the Pentagon.
PFAS-based foam has been used for decades in firefighting drills and exercises, and has left behind widespread contamination at military sites across the country. PFAS make the foam extremely effective at smothering fires. But service members and communities near military installations have for years contended with the harmful chemicals, which are linked to low birth weight, birth defects and developmental delays, as well as an increased risk of some prostate, kidney and testicular cancers.”…