Thousands of public drinking water systems are finding toxic “forever chemicals,” and many are pointing fingers at military bases, airports and sewage treatment plants as the culprits.
Austin Fast and Cecilia Garzella report for USA TODAY.
In short:
- A USA TODAY analysis reveals that over 1,000 water systems detected PFAS, with military bases the most commonly blamed source.
- Cities like Dayton and Cincinnati are suing to recover the high costs of PFAS cleanup, frustrated by the lack of accountability for polluters.
- The problem is expected to worsen as the EPA gathers more data, with potential action required from up to 6,000 systems.
Key quote:
“Cannon Air Force Base and other DoD (Department of Defense) facilities have injured the most valuable natural resource on Earth – our water.”
— New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee Maggie Hart Stebbins
Why this matters:
