Department of Defense announces national PFAS cleanup actions for over 30 military bases

PFAS cleanup actions modeled after Oscoda remediation will address contamination at sites across the country

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

OSCODA, Mich. - The Great Lakes PFAS Action Network (GLPAN) today hailed the Department of Defense’s (DoD) announcement of new PFAS cleanup plans for over 30 U.S. military bases with identified PFAS contamination across the country. The announcement (DoD press release) comes after the DoD announced two sets of PFAS cleanup plans in August 2023 and January 2024 to address high levels of PFAS contamination in Clarks Marsh, the Au Sable River, and Lake Van Etten stemming from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. The cleanup plans for additional bases are modeled after the plans for Wurtsmith, the first U.S. military PFAS site in the country, and are expected to serve as a guide for future remediation of PFAS from military bases moving forward. 

“We are pleased to see the Pentagon apply the cleanup solutions being implemented for Wurtsmith in Oscoda at other military PFAS sites nationally and thankful for the continued efforts of the Michigan congressional delegation and tireless advocates on the ground to make this happen,” said Tony Spaniola, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. “The cleanup efforts underway in Oscoda should be the standard for addressing PFAS from U.S. military bases in states across the country now, and into the future.”

“After years of delay and inaction, the Department of Defense is implementing the remediation strategies Need Our Water (NOW) Oscoda has advocated for over the past decade. The cleanup actions announced for Wurtsmith and now at other military sites – are strong first steps toward fully addressing toxic PFAS contamination impacting military communities across the country  The next step is swift and effective implementation of the cleanup actions at all of the sites.”

The new military bases that will see cleanup plans implemented are: 

  1. AASF #1 R W Shepherd Hope Hull, Alabama – Army

  2. Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona – Air Force

  3. Luke AFB, Arizona – Air Force

  4. Morris (Tucson International Airport), Arizona – Air Force

  5. ALAMEDA NAS, California – Navy

  6. Treasure Island NS, California – Navy

  7. Castle AFB, California – Air Force

  8. March AFB, California – Air Force

  9. Mather AFB, California – Air Force

  10. Fort Carson, Colorado – Army

  11. Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado – Air Force

  12. Chanute AFB, Illinois – Air Force

  13. Brunswick NAS, Maine – Navy

  14. Chesapeake Beach MD RESLB, Maryland – Navy

  15. South Weymouth NAS, Massachusetts – Navy

  16. Otis ANG (Joint Base Cape Cod -Massachusetts Military Reservation), Massachusetts – Air Force

  17. MTC-H Camp Grayling Airfield (installation-wide PAI), Michigan – Army

  18. MTC-H Camp Grayling-Cantonment, Michigan – Army

  19. Selfridge, Michigan – Air Force

  20. Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan – Air Force

  21. Pease AFB, New Hampshire – Air Force

  22. Cannon AFB, New Mexico – Air Force

  23. Stewart International Airport, New York – Air Force

  24. Bismarck AASF Complex, North Dakota – Army

  25. Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio – Air Force

  26. Willow Grove NASJRB, Pennsylvania – Navy

  27. Biddle ANGB (formerly Horsham/Willow Grove ANG), Pennsylvania – Air Force

  28. Naval Auxillary Landing Field, Rhode Island – FUDS 

  29. Shaw AFB, South Carolina – Air Force

  30. Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota – Air Force

  31. El Campo, Texas – Army

  32. Dallas NAS, Texas – Navy

  33. Goodfellow AFB, Texas – Air Force

  34. Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland, Randolph, Ft Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, Texas – Air Force

  35. Reese AFB, Texas – Air Force

  36. Burlington, Vermont – Air Force

  37. Fort Lee, Virginia – Army

  38. OCEANA VA NAS, Virginia – Navy

  39. WHIDBEY IS WA NAS, Washington – Navy

  40. Fairchild AFB, Washington – Air Force