The office of U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin announced on Friday that the U.S. Department of Defense intends to set up two additional groundwater filtration systems at a previous military base in Michigan in order to manage the spread of toxic chemicals known as “forever chemicals.”

Environmental activists claim that these systems will effectively stop PFAS from contaminating the Clarks Marsh region and the Au Sable River, which are located near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda on the banks of Lake Huron. The base was shut down in 1993 as a result of a military reorganization.

PFAS, an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are compounds that don’t degrade in the environment. They’re linked to a host of health issues, including low birthweight and kidney cancer. The chemicals are found in a wide range of products, including nonstick cookware, food packaging and firefighting foam that airports use to combat fires resulting from plane crashes.

According to documents from the Pentagon, there are a minimum of 385 military installations across the country that have been exposed to PFAS contamination, primarily from the use of firefighting foam during training exercises.

In 2021, the Department of Defense released records revealing that PFAS has been found in groundwater near Wurtsmith at a concentration of up to 213,000 parts per trillion. In March, federal regulators suggested a limit of 4 parts per trillion for PFAS in drinking water. The state has cautioned against consuming fish, venison, or small game caught in and around Clarks March and parts of the Au Sable River, as well as avoiding contact with surface water and shoreline foam in Oscoda.

In August, the Department of Defense declared plans to set up two additional groundwater treatment systems near the base, in addition to the existing ones.

Slotkin stated in a press release that this announcement is a significant achievement for Oscoda and the nearby communities. She will persist in advocating for the Pentagon to promptly execute these actions and handle other cases of PFAS pollution at facilities in Michigan and throughout the nation.

Tony Spaniola, one of the co-chairs of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, has been advocating for the Pentagon to address PFAS contamination in the Wurtsmith area ever since he was alerted in 2016 that the water near his cabin in Oscoda was not safe to consume. In a statement included in Slotkin’s press release, he hailed the addition of new systems as a significant milestone. He also expressed hope that this effort will set an example for how contaminated military sites can be cleaned up.