Military Base Decommissioning Projects Uncover Widespread PFAS Groundwater Contamination

New reports say that the usage of military firefighting foam for decades is connected to PFAS groundwater pollution that was found during base cleanup operations

Tuesday, July 22, 2025 - Efforts to close down military bases across the United States are showing that PFAS--per-- and polyfluoroalkyl substances--are polluting a lot of groundwater. These compounds are often called "forever chemicals." As historic buildings become ready to be redeveloped or given to municipal governments, new discoveries are being made. Environmental evaluations that were done as part of the cleanup have found PFAS chemicals in soil and water several times, with many readings well above the current federal health advisory thresholds. These chemicals have been used for decades in firefighting foam and other basic operations, and they don't break down easily, so they build up in the environment and in people over time. A PFAS water contamination attorney said that these new facts are leading to further water lawsuits from towns that get their water from wells near the bases. A lot of people didn't know about the contamination until testing started as part of the decommissioning procedure. The extent of contamination has led to more examination of past military practices and made people worry about the safety of current and former military communities.

The U.S. Department of Defense said that more than 700 military installations are being looked into or cleaned up because they have PFAS contamination. Tests of the groundwater underneath several of these sites have shown that it contains chemicals like PFOA and PFOS. These chemicals have been linked to health problems like certain cancers, liver damage, thyroid illness, and a weaker immune system. Limited government guidelines, uncertain financing responsibilities, and the technical difficulties of getting PFAS out of groundwater have all made it harder to make cleanup plans. Health advocates say that the military's long use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) led to a lot of contamination, and cleaning is years--if not decades--behind. Some installations have started to clear up PFAS, but the whole cleaning will still be very expensive and take a long time. People who live near damaged bases have started suing to get back the money they spent on medical care, finding other sources of water, and losing property value. There is also a lot of public demand for tougher control of future base redevelopment so that new residents don't have to deal with poisoned land and water. Legal experts say that the military's environmental legacy might keep hurting communities for years if there isn't a lot of regulatory and financial action.

The expanding body of data tying PFAS pollution to former military locations is likely to lead to further lawsuits and changes in government policy in the next few years. As additional bases are closed and thoroughly tested, the problem will become bigger and more apparent. More and more, communities will want openness, long-term health monitoring, and financial responsibility. If the federal government doesn't step in and help out with money, local governments and families will have to do the cleanup work. Lawsuits will probably grow to include not just pollution of groundwater, but also delays in testing, notifying, and fixing the problem. In short, military contamination connected to PFAS could become one of the biggest problems for the environment and human health in the U.S. in the next ten years.

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