Bennet, Hickenlooper, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Stop Stalling Toxic PFAS Cleanups, Protect Military Families and Communities

Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined 26 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to demand that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reverse the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to delay the cleanup of toxic chemicals at military installations across the country and take action to protect military families and nearby communities by addressing contamination at the affected sites.

In their letter, Bennet, Hickenlooper, and the senators called on the Trump Administration to immediately restore the previous timetable for remediating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at U.S. military bases and to reverse plans that would further delay long-overdue cleanups, including at eight installations in Colorado such as Buckley Space Force Base, Petersen and Schriever Space Force bases, and Fort Carson. 

“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,” wrote Bennet, Hickenlooper, and the senators. 

PFAS chemicals are widespread contaminants found in many industrial applications, especially around U.S. military installations. PFAS exposure is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid issues, and more. The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at facilities, and the subsequent stormwater runoff, is a significant source of drinking water pollution. This contamination poses serious health risks to servicemembers, their families, and surrounding communities.

At least 700 military sites in the United States are known or suspected to have PFAS contamination from DoD activities. The DoD’s delayed timetable would postpone cleanup efforts by years for over 140 of these sites. Specifically, the DoD pushed back the timeframe 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.

Bennet and Hickenlooper have consistently advocated for increased funding and resources for PFAS cleanup at military bases and in Colorado communities. In February 2023, Bennet and Hickenlooper welcomed nearly $86 million in grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination. In 2022, Bennet and Hickenlooper urged the U.S. Air Force to address water contamination in El Paso County from PFAS, which was found in firefighting foam used at Peterson Space Force Base.

A full list of military installations affected by the delays can be found HERE. A list of the military installations in Colorado that are affected by the Trump Administration delays can be found below:

The text of the letter is available 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.

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