Opposed By Lawmakers, Permit Would Allow Unregulated Discharges of PFAS – Toxic “Forever Chemicals” – Into Waterways From U.S. Army’s Fort Belvoir
Washington, DC – August 28 –A permit for the U.S. Army’s Fort Belvoir proposed by Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) places human health at serious risk because it fails to regulate PFAS – dangerous and toxic “forever” chemicals – discharged in stormwater from the base, Betsy Nicholas, president of Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN), announced today.
Senator Scott Surovell (D-34), Virginia’s Senate Majority Leader, submitted comments in which he opposed the approval of the permit renewal without conditions for PFAS. The Senator wrote, “The communities I represent deserve the strongest possible environmental protections, particularly when dealing with persistent contaminants like PFAS that can remain in the environment and human body for decades. Military installations have a responsibility to be good environmental stewards, and our regulatory agencies must ensure they meet the highest standards.” The draft permit without PFAS conditions is also opposed by Delegate Paul Krizek, 16th District, Fairfax County and Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, 5th District, City of Alexandria in comment letters submitted to DEQ earlier this summer.
PRKN President Nicholas went on to say, “The technical information available to the DEQ shows that stormwater discharges likely contain significant quantities of PFAS, because the Army’s own sampling demonstrates surface water, groundwater, and soil contamination at the base. This group of chemicals is unusually dangerous because they do not degrade over time, bioaccumulate in fish and other wildlife, and cause a host of human health risks, from cancer to liver disease to birth defects. Astonishingly, DEQ does not even acknowledge PFAS in the proposed permit.”
David Sligh, Water Quality Program Director for Wild Virginia, when asked about the permit, said “The Virginia DEQ is proposing to issue a permit that threatens people and wildlife from dangerous ‘forever chemicals.’ That’s inexcusable and we demand better.”
Dean Naujoks, Potomac Riverkeeper, said, “PFAS in stormwater discharges from Fort Belvoir should be both tested and limited. DEQ’s own sampling of the receiving waterways, Accotink Creek and Pohick Bay, demonstrate that there are very high levels of PFAS contamination downstream of Fort Belvoir, at levels orders of magnitude higher than EPA’s recommended PFAS limits to protect human health and aquatic life. This is all occurring in a stretch of the Potomac that serves as a regionally significant spawning grounds for American Shad and Striped Bass. Clearly there is a definite basis – both legal and technical – for DEQ to address PFAS in this draft permit. But DEQ essentially tells us “Never mind”.
