WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and 27 Senate Democratic colleagues are demanding that the Trump administration reverse its decision to postpone long-awaited cleanups of toxic PFAS contamination at military bases nationwide — delays that could leave service members and nearby communities exposed for nearly a decade.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the senators called on the administration to immediately restore the previous cleanup timetable released in late 2024 and abandon a revised schedule that pushes back critical remediation phases at roughly 150 installations across the country.
“For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DOD installations in our states have waited for the DOD to take action,” the senators wrote, urging the Pentagon to “accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination.”
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are “forever chemicals” linked to cancers, reproductive issues, reduced immune function, and other long-term health risks. Their use in firefighting foams at military bases has led to widespread groundwater contamination, especially through stormwater runoff.
According to page 2 of the document, at least 700 military sites across the United States are known or suspected to be contaminated, and the administration’s revised schedule would delay key remediation steps — specifically the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study phase — at roughly 150 of them. Some delays extend the timeline by nearly ten years.
The Pennsylvania impacts are significant. A table on page 2 lists three installations in the state now facing extended cleanup delays:
• Biddle Air National Guard Base (Montgomery County): RI/FS end date moved from 2026 to 2030
• Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station (Allegheny County): moved from 2028 to 2032
• Pittsburgh ANGB (Allegheny County): moved from 2028 to 2033
Fetterman, joined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and others including Tammy Duckworth, Cory Booker, Maggie Hassan, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden, warned that the delays deepen risks for military families and nearby neighborhoods already living with PFAS contamination.
The senators argue that the Department of Defense has an obligation to immediately resume the original cleanup timetable and take additional steps to protect public health.
The full letter and detailed lists of impacted bases are available through Sen. Fetterman’s office.
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