Military Use of Cancer-Causing Firefighting Foam Under Review


The Department of Defense (DOD) will be reviewing the military’s response to the use of firefighting foam that consists of cancer-causing chemicals also known as PFAS.

According to an article published by The Hill, “A class of chemicals abbreviated as PFAS has contaminated water in at least 425 military sites, pushing Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Mark Esper to take action on his first day in office and start a task force to address the substance. The review from the DOD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) is a response to a request spearheaded Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) that asks how long the DOD has known PFAS was harmful to human health, how the military will address cleaning up the substance, and how it will take care of service members and communities harmed by PFAS.”

Lawmakers have pressured the military to implement better efforts to address exposure and contamination including measures in the defense policy act that required the military to end its use of firefighting foam that includes PFAS.

Relevant pages: Veterans Disability