Markey, Warren Demand Answers on Delayed Clean Up of “Forever Chemical” Pollution from Military Bases

Letter Text (PDF)

Boston (September 25, 2025) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to explain and reverse its decision to delay the clean-up of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) pollution from military bases in Massachusetts and around the country. PFAS are linked to cancer, reproductive issues, developmental delays, liver and thyroid disease, and other health harms, and are known as "forever chemicals" for their inability to break down in the environment or in people.

Six former and active military installations in Massachusetts have been assessed for PFAS contamination; two have ongoing remedial investigations underway, which must be completed before any clean-up activities take place. DOD released a progress chart for its PFAS clean-up efforts that showed an average delay of five years for preparatory clean-up work at approximately 140 military sites nationwide, compared to a timeline released in January 2025.

In the letter, the lawmakers write, "Communities on and near military bases are exposed to these dangerous chemicals at a higher rate, due in large part to the military's longstanding use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams and other industrial solvents. We urge the DOD to reverse its decision and restore the original remediation timetable, so our military families and neighbors will not have to worry about what additional years of exposure to PFAS will mean for their health."

The lawmakers requested answers to the following questions by October 8, 2025:

1. Why did the DOD release an updated timetable in March 2025 that pushed back estimated end dates for remedial investigation and feasibility studies at military sites with PFAS contamination?
2. Have there been further updates to this timetable since March 2025? Has the DOD assessed the degree to which people on and near military facilities will be further exposed to harmful levels of PFAS as a result of this delay? Is the decision to delay preparatory clean-up work the result of a lack of funding, a lack of personnel, new information regarding the prevalence of toxic chemicals, or a separate political motive?
3. Has DOD communicated these delays to residents on or near contaminated installations?
4. In the DOD's view, are the provisions relating to PFAS in the current versions of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act under consideration in the House and Senate likely to accelerate or slow down the already delayed DOD efforts on PFAS remediation?

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