The U.S. Army is teaming up with environmental regulators to test for the presence of “forever chemicals” in well water near two Oklahoma military bases.
Tests will sample private drinking water wells near Fort Sill in Lawton and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in southeastern Oklahoma. The Army and Environmental Protection Agency also will test water at seven other bases in Alabama, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina as part of a small-scale pilot program.
They will be searching for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also called PFAS, which are widely used, long-lasting chemicals that take a long time to decompose in the environment.
PFAS have been in use since the 1940s. They’re used in many products and industrial processes like electronics manufacturing, food packaging and household cleaning products. The Army has used PFAS in fire extinguishing foam.
“PFAS pose significant risks to drinking water supplies and public health, which is why the EPA and the Army are testing water from wells in communities near Army installations to determine if these dangerous forever chemicals are polluting drinking water,” said David M. Uhlmann, EPA’s assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance. “Members of the military, their families, and surrounding communities deserve access to clean, safe drinking water.”