Military contamination and cleanup sites
This map shows more than 770 active and former Department of Defense installations contaminated with toxic pollutants, including the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, trichloroethylene and other chemicals. Studies show that long-term exposure to these chemicals may increase the risk of developing cancer, reproductive and neurological harms and damage to the immune system.
More than 140 of these DOD sites are on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List – they are the “most serious sites identified for long-term cleanup.” For these sites, contaminant data is publicly available.
More than 630 other DOD sites are not National Priorities List sites but are on the EPA’s list of federal facilities that “are managing or have managed hazardous waste; or have had a release of hazardous waste. [The sites] identify all federal facilities that must be evaluated to determine whether they pose a risk to human health and the environment….” The cleanup status is listed for each site.
Despite the potential health risks of exposure to these contaminated sites, the DOD pace of cleanup is far too slow. Unless spending for cleanup increases, contamination at many current and former military installations may not get addressed for 50 years or more.
Such delays unnecessarily put service members and DOD installation communities in harm’s way because of chemical exposures. Nearby farmers may be unknowingly contaminating their farm animals and crops – the DOD recently warned thousands of farmers their irrigation water may be polluted with PFAS tied to the military’s use of firefighting foam containing the chemicals.
More funding for the DOD’s Defense Environmental Restoration Program and the Base Closure Account will kick-start the cleanup at current and former DOD installations and protect service members, DOD communities and farmers from toxic pollution.
The DOD has a long history of cleaning up contaminated sites, starting in 1975, with the Installation Restoration Program. But after almost 50 years of cleanups, DOD officials recently testified to Congress that the department still faces a $29 billion cleanup backlog – and that number may actually be twice as large, if emerging contaminants such as PFAS are included.
Locations marked on the map are approximate, determined using EPA coordinates for the sites.
Data on contaminated military sites was current as of November 2022.
