Trump Administration Delaying Toxic PFAS Chemical Cleanup at Approximately 150 Military Installations, Putting Remediation Efforts On Hold For Nearly A Decade In Some Cases
Holdups Are Affecting DOD Facilities Across New York State
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is leading the charge to keep service members and families in communities near military bases safe from toxic chemicals.
Today, Senator Gillibrand led 27 Senate Democratic colleagues in demanding that the Trump administration reverse its 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 a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, 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.
“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.
At least 700 military sites in the United States are known or suspected to have PFAS contamination from DOD activities. DOD’s delayed timetable would postpone cleanup efforts at approximately 150 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.
PFAS chemicals are widespread contaminants found in many industrial applications and 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 Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, and the subsequent stormwater runoff, is a significant source of drinking water pollution. This contamination poses serious health risks to service members and their families, as well as surrounding communities.
Senator Gillibrand was joined on the letter by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Senator Gillibrand has long been at the forefront of protecting service members, veterans, and New York communities from toxic chemicals and PFAS contamination.
This year, Senator Gillibrand introduced bipartisan legislation to require regular monitoring for PFAS at DOD installations and facilitate implementation of base-specific best management practices for PFAS contamination at military sites and in surrounding communities. She is also the author of the burn pits section of the PACT Act and has pushed back against Trump administration efforts to strip health care benefits from veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances.
The full text of the senators’ letter to Secretary Hegseth can be found here.
A full list of military installations affected by the delays can be found here.
A list of the military installations in New York that are affected by the Trump administration delays can be found below:
| Region | Installation Type | Installation Name | Estimated RI/FS End Date Released in December 2024 | Estimated RI/FS End Date Released on March 31, 2025 |
| Hudson Valley | National Guard | Stewart International Airport | 9/2026 | 9/2032 |
| Long Island | National Guard | Francis S. Gabreski Airport | 9/2027 | 9/2033 |
| Mohawk Valley | Active | Defense Fuel Support Point Verona | 9/2025 | 9/2029 |
| North Country | BRAC | Plattsburgh Air Force Base | 9/2025 | 9/2031 |
| Western New York | Active | Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station | 9/2028 | 6/2032 |
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