April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

Last week, U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) unveiled a suite of legislation to address PFAS exposure among service members and contamination on military installations and in surrounding communities.

The five individual bills include measures to screen service members for PFAS exposure, prohibit procurement by the Department of Defense (DOD) of products containing PFAS, and require transparency in cleanup efforts, among others.

“When it comes to addressing PFAS exposure and contamination, the federal government has kicked the can down the road for way too long, and it’s left our service members and communities across Michigan shouldering the burden,” said Slotkin. “These five bills will require the Department of Defense to take meaningful steps to clean up these ‘forever chemicals’ and to provide essential support to our men and women in uniform who have been exposed."

The package of bills Slotkin unveiled includes:

The PFAS Free Military Purchasing Act, which would prohibit Department of Defense procurement of certain items containing certain types of PFAS, including cookware, floor wax, cleaning products, carpeting and upholstery, and food packaging materials.

The PFAS Exposure, Assessment, and Documentation Act, which would require the Department of Defense to evaluate service members for exposure to PFAS during physical exams and – if they are exposed – provide a blood test to determine and document their level of exposure.

The PFAS Strictest Standard Act, which would require the Department of Defense to abide by most stringent standards among state or federal PFAS standards in cleanup efforts.

The PFAS Training For DoD Providers and Service Members Act, which would require the Department of Defense to provide each of its medical providers with mandatory training regarding the potential health effects of PFAS.

The PFAS Cleanup Transparency Act, which would require the Department of Defense to post on a publicly available website timely and regularly updated information on the status of cleanup at sites.

Due to widespread use, PFAS have been introduced to environments and waterways in Michigan, which has, according to a 2019 report, the highest number of PFAS-contaminated sites in the country.

Because they are resistant to natural degradation processes, PFAS are harmful to humans and are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals.’

"Winding down the use of PFAS and cleaning up contaminated areas has been one of my top priorities in Congress – it’s a threat to Michiganders’ way of life, and it’s time for action.”