A bill in the U.S. Senate would instruct military installations to stop releasing “forever chemicals” into surrounding communities like Spring Lake, where groundwater is contaminated with PFAS from Fort Bragg.
The Department of Defense PFAS Discharge Prevention Act would require the department to regularly monitor for PFAS pollution and implement measures to limit contaminated stormwater runoff. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, introduced the legislation on July 28. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a similar measure earlier this year in the U.S. House.
Military bases are hot spots for PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, because of the use of firefighting foam AFFF. The defense department says it identified 723 active military installations by the end of last year that require testing to determine whether PFAS was released in the surrounding environment. Of these sites, 581 warranted further investigation after initial sampling, including Fort Bragg.
The Southern Environmental Law Center endorsed the legislation, emphasizing its focus on cutting off PFAS contamination at the source.
“Protecting our service members, veterans, firefighters, and surrounding communities from toxic PFAS pollution begins with turning off the tap,” Senior SELC attorney Jean Zhuang said in a statement. “Controlling PFAS at the source using existing law is the most fair and cost-effective path forward. Those who serve our country and the communities that support them deserve nothing less.”
In a letter to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, veterans, firefighters, military families, and families of firefighters from across the country urged the committee to support the legislation. Grays Creek Residents United Against PFAS in Our Wells and Rivers signed the letter.
“For too long, we have been put at risk from exposure to these toxic chemicals,” the letter says. “The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at DOD facilities is a significant source of drinking water pollution—which poses health threats to service members and their families, veterans, and firefighters—to say nothing of the direct exposure suffered by firefighters.”
PFAS from Fort Bragg
The chemicals identified at Fort Bragg and in groundwater in Spring Lake originated from the firefighting foam AFFF, according to the U.S. Army Environmental Command. AFFF, or aqueous film-forming foam, is a fire suppressant that is made with “forever chemicals.” Developed by the U.S. Navy and chemical company 3M in the 1960s, AFFF results in PFAS that can remain in the environment and contaminate waterways, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
According to the U.S. Army Environmental Command, AFFF has been used on Fort Bragg since the 1970s. The installation began testing for PFAS in nearby Spring Lake wells in 2023 after finding contaminated groundwater in areas on post.
Testing of wells around Fort Bragg this year has continued to show unsafe levels of PFOA and PFOS in private wells. In many cases, the levels were well above the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limits of 4 parts per trillion. The wells tested are in Spring Lake, within a one-mile radius of Fort Bragg, Army officials previously said. The latest test results, which were recorded in the last week of March, found wells with contamination levels as high as 29 ppt for PFOA and 32 ppt for PFOS, more than seven times the EPA’s limit.
According to the latest report from the DOD, published in April, Fort Bragg was in the RI, or remedial investigation, phase of a clean-up plan. The second phase of the plan involves a detailed field investigation to determine the nature and extent of contamination and assess the potential risks to human health and the environment. The report says RI is expected to be completed at Fort Bragg by October 2027.
Government accountability reporter Evey Weisblat can be reached at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608.
Did you find this story useful or interesting? It was made possible by donations from readers like you to the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation so CityView can bring you more news and information like this.