The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army plan to collect drinking water from private wells located near Army installations and test it for the presence of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Nine bases are listed as “priority installations” for having the most significant potential for PFAS contamination to migrate offsite.
On April 10, 2024, the EPA issued a final rule that sets drinking water standards for five individual PFAS substances, including PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (also known as “GenX Chemicals”). On April 19, 2024, EPA issued a second PFAS rule designating the PFAS substances perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as hazardous substances because those chemicals have been linked to cancers, immune and developmental damage to infants and children, and has some impact on the liver and heart.
In a joint EPA-Army statement, Rachel Jacobson, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy, and environment, said: “The Army welcomes EPA’s collaboration as it continues to evaluate whether PFAS from past Army activities has impacted our neighboring communities and if so, takes steps to mitigate those impacts.”
The statement also says prior to the EPA’s recent PFAS rules the Army undertook a program in 2017 to identify potential PFAS releases at hundreds of Army and Army National Guard installations. The initial investigation was completed by the Army in 2023, and narrowed the focus to 235 locations where more in-depth investigations are to occur, according to Jacobson. “For the nine installations that are part of our joint pilot program with EPA, the Army has already begun more in-depth investigations,” she said.
The nine bases identified as “priority installations” are located in seven states:
Fort Novosel, located in Dale County, Ala.
Fort Hunter Liggett, Parks Reserve Forces Training Area, in Monterey County, Calif.
Fort Stewart, located in Liberty County, Ga.
Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield, located in Savannah, Ga.
Blue Grass Army Depot, located near Richmond, Ky.
Fort Campbell, located in Montgomery and Stewart Counties, Tenn. and in Christian and Trigg Counties, Ky.
Fort Liberty, located near Fayetteville, N.C.
Fort Sill, located near Lawton, Okla.
McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, located in Pittsburg County, Okla.
“If the sampling indicates that PFAS is present in groundwater or drinking water above the new maximum contaminant levels established by EPA, then the Army will work with EPA and state regulators to assess what additional actions are necessary to mitigate exposure,” Jacobson said.
In selecting the Army’s sites for off-site drinking water sampling, the EPA and Army used data and information currently available, according to Jeffrey Landis, an official with the EPA’s Office of Media Relations. Landis said the EPA reviewed Army preliminary assessment and site investigation documents for the following:
The likelihood that PFAS contamination would travel off-base.
The levels of PFAS in existing groundwater.
The proximity of the drinking water wells to the base.
Whether the wells were down gradient of the contamination.
The hydrogeology of the site and the probability of groundwater flowing through the PFAS contamination.
In the statement with Jacobson, David Uhlmann, EPA’s assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance, said, “PFAS pose significant risks to drinking water supplies and public health, which is why the EPA and the Army are testing water from wells in communities near Army installations to determine if these dangerous forever chemicals are polluting drinking water. Members of the military, their families, and surrounding communities deserve access to clean, safe drinking water. EPA welcomes the opportunity to share our expertise and work with the Army on this important project, which will help advance EPA’s PFAS National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative.”
In addition to the Army, the EPA has collaborated with both the Navy and the Air Force in collecting water samples at specific sites, and the EPA welcomes collaboration with all three military departments, according to Landis. However, the Army pilot project is the first of its kind, he said.
Furthermore, the EPA regularly communicates with all three military departments (the Army, Navy [which includes the Marine Corps], and Air Force [which includes Space Force]) regarding their PFAS contamination, as well as with the Coast Guard, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, according to Landis.
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