The “Million Parts per Trillion” U.S. Tour
February 23, 2019 – March 1, 2019
Raising awareness of per and poly fluoroalkyl substances, (PFAS) and how their use by the military is poisoning America’s groundwater
February 14, 2019
Los Angeles, CA – Father and daughter team, Pat and Holly Elder will hold press briefings in front of the main gates of eight military bases across the U.S. that continue to poison groundwater of surrounding communities with high amounts of PFAS. The duo will visit China Lake NAWS (CA), Cannon AFB, (NM), Former Dallas NAS, (TX), Former England AFB, (LA), Patrick AFB, (FL), Jacksonville NAS, (FL), Former Mytle Beach AFB, (SC), and Langley AFB, (VA).
“As a news organization, we have exclusively covered toxic military contamination since 2013,” said Gavin P. Smith, Founder/Editor of Civilian Exposure. “When Pat joined us recently as a contributor, we specifically wanted him to drill down into the latest military contamination threat – PFAS/PFOS. We welcome his shared tenacity for exposing this systemic problem at bases and communities across the country and overseas.”
The pair will start at China Lake, Saturday, February 23rd then cross the U.S., and wind up at Langley on March 1st. See the schedule below.
According to a report published by the DOD in March, 2018, these bases have the most highly contaminated groundwater in the country. The source of the chemical contamination comes from the aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) used in routine fire-training on military bases. The active ingredient in the foam causes cancer. The military allows the poisons to leach into the groundwater to contaminate neighboring communities which use groundwater in their wells and municipal water systems. PFAS compounds are known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in nature.
According to the EPA, exposure to PFAS “may result in adverse health effects, including developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants (e.g., low birth weight, accelerated puberty, skeletal variations), cancer (e.g., testicular, kidney), liver effects (e.g., tissue damage), immune effects (e.g., antibody production and immunity), thyroid effects and other effects (e.g., cholesterol changes).” PFAS also contributes micro-penis, and low sperm count in males.
The worst offender nationally is the closed England AFB, near Alexandria, Louisiana. This base has poisoned the groundwater with PFAS at levels of 10,970,000 parts per trillion (ppt.). Meanwhile, The EPA continues to allow the contaminants to leach into the soil. Harvard scientists say 1 ppt of PFAS in drinking water is likely to be harmful to human health.
The EPA’s leniency is shaped in part by the Department of Defense, which faces billions and perhaps, trillions of dollars in liability for the contaminated sites it controls across the country and around the world. The DOD generally refuses to clean up the contamination it has caused or pay for municipal water systems to provide clean water for citizens.
We will broadcast information about the individual bases from the main gates of the following installations that have been shown to have PFAS in their groundwater exceeding 1 million ppt.:
1) February 23 – China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station 8,000,000 ppt. of PFAS found in the groundwater.
2) February 24 – Cannon AFB, New Mexico 2,600,000 ppt.
3) February 25 – Dallas Former NAS, Texas 1,247,000 ppt. (no press reports)
4) February 25 – Former England AFB (p. 4) Louisiana 10,970,000 ppt.
5) February 26 – Patrick AFB, Florida 4,300,000 ppt
6) February 27 – Jacksonville NAS, Florida 1,397,000 ppt.
7) February 28 – Mytle Beach Former AFB 2,640,000 ppt. (no press reports)
8) March 1 – Langley AFB, VA 2,200,000 ppt (no press reports)
See this photo essay: The military is poisoning America’s groundwater, this report on PFAS from the Union of Concerned Scientists, and this PFAS Database from Northeastern University.
CONTACT: Pat Elder pat.elder@civilianexposure.org
Email for exact times for briefings at each base.
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