Story perspectives

Pentagon Estimates $39 B PFAS Cleanup, 700 Sites

5/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Department of Defense study estimates PFAS cleanup could cost nearly $39 billion and last for decades.
Pentagon confirmed PFAS contamination at more than 700 installations, exposing over 175,000 service members and families.
The current cleanup budget lags behind the estimate, risking untreated sites for up to fifty years.
From 1953 to 1987 at Camp Lejeune, water contained solvents up to 3,400 times safe limits, linked to higher cancer and ALS rates.

History

Historical Context

Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act in December 1980, giving EPA authority to create the Superfund program and a National Priorities List of hazardous sites. Today the list holds about 1,340 sites nationwide, including ten in Arizona as of September 19 2024. PFAS contamination at many Department of Defense bases now tests the law’s original public-health purpose.

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Story summary

Department of Defense study estimates PFAS cleanup could cost nearly $39 billion and last for decades.
Pentagon confirmed PFAS contamination at more than 700 installations, exposing over 175,000 service members and families.
The current cleanup budget lags behind the estimate, risking untreated sites for up to fifty years.
From 1953 to 1987 at Camp Lejeune, water contained solvents up to 3,400 times safe limits, linked to higher cancer and ALS rates.

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