Heinrich, Luján Demand Trump Administration Stop Stalling PFAS Cleanups, Protect Military Families and Nearby Communities in New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 26 Senate Democrats to send a letter demanding that U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth reverse DoD’s decision to delay the cleanup of per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) at military installations in New Mexico and nationwide and to urge the DoD to take action to protect military families and nearby communities by addressing PFAS contamination at the affected sites.

PFAS from industrial processes and products like firefighting foams can end up in waterways and soils. Exposure to PFAS from contaminated soils and water is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid issues, and more.

In their letter, the senators called on the DoD to immediately restore the previous timetable for remediating PFAS contamination at U.S. military bases and to reverse plans that would further delay long-overdue cleanups.

“For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DOD installations in our states have waited for the DOD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination,” the senators wrote.

The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at DoD facilities, and the subsequent stormwater runoff, is a significant source of ground water pollution. This contamination poses serious health risks to service members and their families, as well as surrounding communities.

At least 700 military sites in the United States are known or suspected to have PFAS contamination from DoD activities — including 6 in New Mexico. DoD’s delayed timetable would postpone cleanup efforts at approximately 140 of them, in some cases for nearly a decade. Specifically, DoD pushed back the time frame of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase for these bases, which involves collecting detailed information on the nature and extent of the PFAS contamination and conducting a study to evaluate potential options for cleanup.

“We are also alarmed that DoD lacked transparency when changing the timeline for remediation. Servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding contaminated military installations need to be able to make informed decisions about their health,” the senators continued.

“We again urge you to reverse your decision to delay cleanup timelines and prioritize remediation of PFAS contamination at bases to protect the public health of military families across the country,” the senators concluded. 

This letter is led by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The full text of the letter is here and below:  

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

We write to express our concerns regarding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to delay the cleanup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at military installations across the country. This is unacceptable. For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DoD installations in our states have waited for the DoD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination.

PFAS are a class of synthetic chemical substances that have been manufactured for decades for use in various consumer products and industrial processes. However, the strong chemical bonds in PFAS that make them useful in the manufacturing of certain goods also make them extraordinarily persistent in our bodies and the environment, earning PFAS the label of a “forever chemical.” Already, PFAS have been found in drinking water sources for at least 172 million people across the country. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a litany of public health risks, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, and thyroid problems.

There are over 700 military sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination from DoD activities. According to reporting, DoD’s new timetable delays cleanup of PFAS pollution at approximately 140 sites, and in some instances, the delay will be nearly a decade. Studies confirm that residents living near many of these sites have dangerously high levels of PFAS in their drinking water, putting them at risk for serious health issues linked to PFAS exposure.

PFAS from these sites have also contaminated surrounding groundwater and soil, hurting the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. Further delaying cleanup will only increase the health and economic costs to servicemembers and communities across the country.

We are also alarmed that DoD lacked transparency when changing the timeline for remediation. Servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding contaminated military installations need to be able to make informed decisions about their health. Given the current and continuous impact on these servicemembers and communities, please provide answers to the following inquiries by December 1, 2025:

1. What is the reason for delaying cleanup at each of the DoD installations with confirmed PFAS contamination?
2. How did DoD communicate with impacted bases and surrounding communities to notify them of the change in cleanup timetables?
3. What resources will be provided to the communities currently exposed to PFAS and dangerous drinking water to mitigate ongoing exposure due to the delay in remediation?
4. What water quality monitoring will DoD conduct in impacted communities?

We again urge you to reverse your decision to delay cleanup timelines and prioritize remediation of PFAS contamination at bases to protect the public health of military families across the country.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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