Duckworth Questions Air Force Leaders Over Efforts to Assess Prevalence of Toxic Chemicals at Installations

Apr 5, 2019 8:29 AM

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[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – At today’s Senate Armed Services U.S. Air Force Budget Posture Hearing, U.S. Senator and Combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) questioned U.S. Air Force leaders on their efforts to identify exactly how many Air Force installations’ groundwater sources and wells have been contaminated with poisonous chemicals. These chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, have caused health problems in children and have been linked to high cancer rates in servicemembers and Veterans across the country. Video of Duckworth’s questions at the hearing is available here.

“More than 126 military installations or sites and their surrounding communities rely on wells or groundwater sources that contain dangerous levels of 2 chemical compounds (known as PFOA and PFOS) that are tied to birth defects and certain cancers,” Duckworth said. “Our servicemembers shouldn’t have to worry about getting poisoned by their drinking water, which is why I’ll keep working to make sure the military inspects all installations and addresses this critical issue.”

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Duckworth helped defeat President Trump’s original nominee to lead the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Michael Dourson, in part due to his record of defending poisonous chemicals such as PFOS and PFOA. Dourson withdrew his nomination after Duckworth placed a hold on his nomination and wrote an op-ed detailing why he was not qualified for the position.

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