A group of senators, including Ohio's Sherrod Brown, are urging Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to treat PFAS chemicals on military installations with greater urgency.
Brown joined 41 other senators in a bipartisan petition, urging Austin to set aside higher funding for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) testing and remediation, and to improve planning on dealing with the so-called “forever chemicals.”
This has been a vexing issue in the Dayton area, with two cities — Dayton and Fairborn — involved in lawsuits against the government and against manufacturers, respectively, over PFAS contamination.
PFAS is short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which were once used in nonstick frying pans, water-repellent sports gear, stain-resistant rugs, firefighting foam and elsewhere. The substance was voluntarily phased out in the U.S., but it remains in some products and in the environment.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base environmental engineers have steadily probed the presence of PFAS and PFOA chemicals under and around the base.
Firefighting foam containing the chemicals has been used on the base in the past, but a base spokeswoman has said the Air Force in recent years has replaced legacy firefighting foam in emergency vehicles and hangar fire prevention systems with a formula that meets EPA guidelines.
Last year, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law prohibiting the use of…
