{"id":44514,"date":"2019-07-24T16:27:06","date_gmt":"2019-07-24T16:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/24\/esper-creates-task-force-to-deal-with-cancer-causing-chemicals-on-military-installations\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:57:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:57:01","slug":"esper-creates-task-force-to-deal-with-cancer-causing-chemicals-on-military-installations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/07\/24\/esper-creates-task-force-to-deal-with-cancer-causing-chemicals-on-military-installations\/","title":{"rendered":"Esper creates task force to deal with cancer-causing chemicals on military installations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><b>Updated 4:50 PM EST with more details from the memo.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On his first full day as secretary of defense, Mark Esper has signed a memo establishing a task force to deal with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/2019\/07\/14\/heres-an-updated-map-of-military-sites-where-dod-found-cancer-causing-chemicals-in-the-drinking-water\/\" target=\"_blank\">cancer-causing chemicals found on military bases<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purpose, he told reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday, is to \u201caddress all the key areas\u201d of the military\u2019s response to the presence of harmful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/2019\/05\/06\/will-this-proposal-help-dods-water-cleanup-efforts\/\">chemicals used in firefighting foam<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid and\/or perfluorooctane sulfonate have been found to have caused contamination at more than 230 military installations, according to an environmental advocacy group. The Environmental Working Group says that harmful levels have been detected in groundwater or drinking water sources of the fluorinated compounds, known collectively as PFAS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An additional 44 civilian airports are included that are also used by Air National Guard units, according to the group.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link smg-interstitial-link--fallback wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2019\/07\/24\/newly-installed-secdef-the-budget-deal-provides-a-good-number-for-defense\/?utm_campaign=Socialflow+DFN&#038;utm_medium=social&#038;utm_source=twitter.com\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__fallback-link\">Newly installed SecDef: The budget deal provides a \u2018good\u2019 number for defense<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper said the new task force will address a wide range of issues resulting from the contamination, &#8220;whether it\u2019s cleanup, whether it\u2019s finding an alternative for the current firefighting, you name it,\u201d said Esper. \u201cIt will include the military department and our health affairs folks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper said he has also asked the Environmental Protection Agency to be involved, as well as other government agencies \u201cto make sure we go after this problem very aggressively, very holistically and get in front of it, stay in front of it and take care of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and the outlying communities that are affected by it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his memo, Esper writes that the issue must be tackled in an \u201caggressive and holistic\u201d way with a \u201cstrong and proactive stance.\u201d The working group will be chaired by assistant secretary of defense for sustainment Robert McMahon, and will focus on six key areas: health aspects, clean up standards and performance, finding\/funding an effective substitute firefighting foam without PFAS, science-supported standard for exposure and clean up, interagency coordination and public\/congress perception of DoD\/s efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new task force will be stood up within 30 days, with an update due to Esper\u2019s desk within 180 days of the memo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this month, the Environmental Working Group, which has released maps about the location of the contamination, blasted the Pentagon and EPA for the way they\u2019ve dealt with the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe EPA and the Department of Defense have utterly failed to treat PFAS contamination as a crisis demanding swift and decisive action,\u201d said Ken Cook, president of EWG, in a statement announcing the discovery of the additional sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s time for Congress to end new PFAS pollution and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/03\/06\/lawmakers-to-dod-you-knew-about-water-contamination-why-havent-you-done-more\/\">clean up legacy contamination<\/a>,\u201d Cook said at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 2016 Environmental Protection Agency health advisory recommended water sources contain no more than 70 parts per trillion, or ppt, of the PFAS chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid, and\/or perfluorooctane sulfonate at sites being addressed, including those under federal cleanup programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the EPA\u2019s health advisory has been in effect since 2016, neither the Pentagon nor any municipality was required to meet the 70 ppt standard because the contamination limit is an advisory, not a requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For decades, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/04\/07\/states-military-clash-on-cleanup-of-toxic-chemicals\/\">the military used firefighting foams<\/a> that contained PFAS chemicals. These per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are also found in hundreds of everyday household products. PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancers and other health problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When told that thousands of veterans believe their cancers are linked to the chemicals, Esper said that the Department of Veterans Affairs should be consulted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think we need to follow the science on this and one of the agencies that we should be talking to is VA on this,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just need to understand the problem and make sure we have our hands fully around it, follow the science, and then obviously if there is a relationship we need to do our due diligence. \u201c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PFAS chemicals have been found to have caused contamination at more than 230 military installations, according to an environmental advocacy 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