Military Poisons

The Toxic Legacy of Eighty Years of U.S. Military Occupation

Part 2 of a 3-part series.  Part 1 examined PFAS at Pituffik Space Base; while Part 3 will survey the appeals U.S. veterans have filed with the U.S. Veterans Administration, claiming cancers and disease as a result of their exposure to toxins in Greenland.

By Pat Elder
July 9, 2026

“Greenland doesn’t really help Denmark. Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s important for the United States... It should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark.” — U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking in Ankara, Türkiye, July 7, 2026, Photo CNBC

Introduction

President Donald Trump's July 2026 remarks criticizing Denmark's relationship with Greenland provide an unexpected backdrop for this report. Although the President did not specify what he meant by Denmark "not spending money to really help Greenland," his comments invite a broader examination of the responsibilities that accompany the American military presence and strategic interest on the world's largest island.

The geopolitical tensions have been extraordinary. Following President Trump's repeated suggestions earlier this year that he might use military force to acquire Greenland, Danish military planners reportedly developed highly classified contingency plans that included destroying key Greenlandic airfields if the United States attempted an invasion, according to the BBC.

On April 1, 2026, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was negotiating with Denmark for access to three additional military installations in Greenland. According to the newspaper, two of the proposed sites were former American bases abandoned following the Cold War. The report underscored Greenland's renewed strategic importance at a moment when many of the environmental consequences of earlier U.S. military operations remain unresolved.

For more than eighty years, the United States has maintained an extensive network of military installations across Greenland. Those bases left behind nuclear radiation, fuel spills, abandoned infrastructure, military waste, contaminated landfills, PCB-containing materials, asbestos, unexploded ordnance, and, at several locations, documented PFAS contamination associated with firefighting activities.

Successive Danish and Greenlandic governments have invested substantial public resources investigating former American installations, documenting contamination, and, in some rare cases, undertaking cleanup projects. The United States has strongly maintained that it bears no legal obligation to restore former facilities to their original condition, relying on provisions contained in Article XI of the 1951 Defense Agreement: “It is understood that any areas or facilities made available to the  Government of the United States of America under this Agreement need not be left in the condition in which they were at the time they were thus made available.”

As a result, almost all of the financial burden for assessing and addressing contamination has fallen on Denmark and Greenland rather than on the guilty party that established and operated the installations.

When the U.S. upgraded its radar systems in 2004, Greenland attempted to compel  the United States to clean up former U.S. bases on the island.  U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that the legal responsibility for cleaning up older, abandoned bases had already transferred to local/Danish authorities and would remain there.  Because the U.S. maintained this legal stance, the Danish government ultimately agreed to pay for the cleanup.

In 2018 the Danish government relented by investing around 24 million Euro to “clean-up” the abandoned bases. It is a paltry sum. By 2024, progress on the clean-up had been slow. Only around 5.3 million Euro has been spent. That figure is almost irrelevant when measured against the scale of cleaning up the horror at Camp Century alone.

No public authority has produced a comprehensive cleanup estimate for Camp Century. Given the scale of the buried infrastructure, the Arctic environment, and the costs associated with excavating, transporting, and disposing of radioactive and hazardous materials, the eventual cost could reasonably reach into the billions of euros.

This report provides a consolidated overview of former United States military installations in Greenland and their documented environmental legacy. It is based primarily on the groundbreaking investigative reporting and field research published by the Danish newspaper Politiken supplemented by publicly available reports from the Government of Greenland, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), NIRAS, U.S. government agencies, scientific literature, and historical records.

Military Poisons is indebted to the journalists, editors, photographers, and researchers at Politiken for their exceptional work documenting the environmental legacy of former U.S. military activities in Greenland. Their reporting has significantly advanced public understanding of these historically important sites and provided an invaluable foundation for further research.

The individual descriptions of each installation have been substantially condensed from the original source material to provide readers with a concise reference to the history, environmental conditions, and current status of each site. While every effort has been made to accurately reflect the available public record, this report is intended as a summary and research aid rather than a substitute for the original investigations and technical reports.

Taken together, these installations reveal a remarkably consistent pattern spanning more than eight decades of American military operations in Greenland. Facilities ranging from major air bases to isolated weather stations and LORAN navigation sites were frequently abandoned with fuel drums, vehicles, construction materials, electrical equipment, batteries, hazardous building materials, and waste disposal areas left in place. Environmental investigations have repeatedly documented petroleum contamination, Polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs, asbestos, mercury, lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals, while many sites remain only partially characterized because comprehensive environmental assessments have never been completed.  Camp Century occupies a category of its own. Unlike the conventional military installations scattered across Greenland, the underground nuclear-powered base left behind highly toxic radioactive waste, diesel fuel, sewage, and thousands of tons of construction materials beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet.

One of the more striking findings is how unevenly these sites have been investigated. A few former bases have undergone detailed engineering studies involving soil, water, sediment, and waste characterization. Others have received only scant historical inventories documenting visible structures and debris. Several installations—including Camp Tuto, Camp Fistclench, the Ice Cap Sites, and a number of protected-area weather stations—have never undergone comprehensive environmental assessments.

Cleanup efforts have likewise been inconsistent. Denmark initiated a political agreement in 2018 to begin addressing contamination at selected former American installations, but remediation has progressed slowly. Several major sites remain only partially cleaned despite years of planning. Other installations, including Pituffik Space Base and several research camps within the active military reservation, are excluded from testing and remediation because they remain operational. Somehow, sharing environmental secrets involving levels of PCB’s, PFAS, Radiation, and Mercury are matters of national security. The same holds true from Weisbaden, Germany to Yokosuka, Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii. Victims in these locations cry out for data and justice.

As Greenland assumes greater strategic importance and climate change accelerates the exposure of long-buried Cold War infrastructure, the environmental legacy of former U.S. military installations is likely to receive increasing international attention. This report seeks to provide a concise, evidence-based reference to what is presently known about these sites, where significant uncertainties remain, and where additional investigation is long overdue.

What’s in a drum?

Throughout Greenland, former American military installations are littered with hundreds of thousands of abandoned steel fuel drums. Many reportedly contained residual gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, lubricating oil, or other petroleum products when they were discarded. As these drums corrode over time, residual fuels and additives leach into surrounding soils and surface waters. Among the contaminants of greatest concern are petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds, particularly the BTEX chemicals—benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes—along with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other fuel constituents, like PCB’s. See our rundown on the 36 contaminated sites below. First, please consider helping us financially.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Before reading on, Please support our testing in Fort Ord, California.

The distance from Fort Ord, California, to Nuuk, Greenland is only about 3,300 miles. Most people are surprised to learn that.

This fall, I will travel to Fort Ord to meet with a dozen local environmental advocates, scientists, and Army veterans who are deeply concerned about the rapid redevelopment of the former Army base. New apartments, homes, schools, parks, and retail centers continue to be built over land that contains some of the military's deadliest legacy contamination.

‍Over the years, almost 2,000 local residents, former service members, and civilian workers have told us about cancers and other illnesses they believe are connected to their exposure at Fort Ord.

‍We are especially concerned about large groundwater plumes containing trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CT). These chemicals can migrate into buildings as vapor, potentially affecting the air people breathe inside their homes and workplaces. We are also concerned about the possible presence and movement of PFAS ("forever chemicals") and other toxic contaminants in groundwater, soil, surface water, and indoor dust.

‍Our goal is to collect independent environmental samples, work with qualified experts, and make the results available to the public. We believe communities deserve reliable information about the environment where they live, work, and raise their families. We need your help. We need to pay for airfare for three of us (from Maryland, Ohio, and Michigan). We must pay for lodging for four nights. (two stars..) And then, we have to pay for the testing. We already have the Cyclopure test kits for PFAS. We still need to pay for testing of soil, air, and water at different locations. $10,000 is our goal.
See who “we” are.

If you have supported Military Poisons in the past, we hope you will consider helping us again. If you didn’t receive a personal thank you, I apologize. Every donation helps us bring greater transparency to this community living with the environmental legacy of military contamination.

‍ Thank you for standing with us.   Go here, to the bottom of the page to contribute. https://www.fortordcontamination.org/ Now, back to Greenland.

‍ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ‍

Part I — The Bluie West Installations

Bluie West 1 (Narsarsuaq) U.S. Operation:1942–1958

The largest American air base in Greenland during World War II, Bluie West 1 served as a major refueling stop for thousands of aircraft enroute to Europe. When the United States departed in 1958, it left behind extensive debris, including aircraft wreckage, oil drums, batteries, cables, machinery, buried scrap metal, and asbestos from the former military hospital. Local officials report that waste was buried in multiple layers beneath the site. Although asbestos hazards have been documented for years, the installation is not included in Denmark's current cleanup program.

Note: Bluie West Two  was a planned World War II United States military site in southwest Greenland that proved unusable and was ultimately rejected.

Bluie West 3 (Simiutaq) U.S. Operation:1942–1958

Established as a weather and radio station supporting aircraft operations at Narsarsuaq, Bluie West 3 now contains approximately 4,400 metric tons of abandoned military waste. The site includes rusting oil drums, construction materials, battery components, shipwreck debris, pipelines, and large abandoned fuel tanks. Environmental investigations have documented severe petroleum contamination, including mobile free-phase oil capable of migrating through soil. Elevated PCB concentrations, lead contamination, and petroleum impacts to nearby marine sediments and mussels make Simiutaq one of Greenland's most extensively documented contaminated military sites.

Bluie West 4 (Marraq / Teague Airfield) U.S. Operation: 1942–1948

Built as an emergency landing field and weather station south of Nuuk, Marraq was abandoned with thousands of oil drums, diesel generators, vehicles, radio equipment, barges, and buried scrap metal. Investigators estimated that at least 120,000 liters of diesel fuel contaminated the site, with petroleum odors still evident decades after abandonment. Surveys also identified asbestos, PCBs, and mercury contamination. Officials concluded that pollutants posed potential risks to freshwater ecosystems, marine organisms, and shellfish inhabiting the adjacent fjord. Cleanup operations began in 2019 but remain unfinished.

Bluie West 5 (Aasiaat) U.S. Operation:1942–1958

Bluie West 5 functioned as a weather station near present-day Aasiaat during World War II. Although the site has been used for other purposes over the years, environmental investigations have clearly identified American military debris, including deteriorating buildings and stockpiles of rusted oil drums. More than five metric tons of hazardous or contaminated waste remain. Soil testing has documented elevated concentrations of lead and cadmium associated with the former U.S. installation. Questions regarding present ownership have complicated decisions concerning remediation.

Bluie West 6 (Pituffik / Thule Air Base / Pituffik Space Base) U.S. Operation:1942–Present

Originally established as the Bluie West 6 weather station during World War II, the installation expanded dramatically under the secret Project Blue Jay and became Thule Air Base in 1952, now known as Pituffik Space Base. The installation remains the only active U.S. military base in Greenland. Historic investigations have identified at least fifty waste disposal areas surrounding the base, including former missile silos converted into landfills. Long-term PCB contamination has been documented in nearby marine environments, but because the base remains operational, it has largely been excluded from Denmark's national cleanup program.

Bluie West 7 / Navy 26 / Grønnedal

U.S. Operation:1943–1951 (later operated by Denmark until 2012)

Established near Ivigtut during World War II, Bluie West 7 was accompanied by the adjacent U.S. Navy 26 installation, later transferred to Denmark and renamed Grønnedal. Investigations have documented extensive petroleum and groundwater contamination migrating toward Arsuk Fjord. Large American dump sites contain vehicles, hazardous wastes, and an estimated 20,000 cubic meters of discarded material. Underwater surveys have identified additional debris in the fjord, including a tanker truck, crane, tracked vehicle, and other equipment. Cleanup costs are now estimated at between DKK 100 and 200 million.

Bluie West 8 (Kangerlussuaq / Søndre Strømfjord) U.S. Operation:1941–1992‍ ‍

Built before the United States entered World War II, Kangerlussuaq became one of Greenland's most important military airfields and later served Cold War radar operations before transitioning into Greenland's principal civilian airport. The United States left behind oil drum dumps, unexploded ammunition, scrap metal, and abandoned military structures. Local residents have criticized the burning of open landfills containing American military waste. Greenlandic officials have also alleged that diesel fuel was intentionally dumped into nearby lakes for mosquito control, with reports that some waters still exhibit petroleum odors decades later.

Bluie West 9 (Cruncher Island) U.S. Operation:1942–1986

Constructed to support weather observations and aviation operations associated with Kangerlussuaq, Bluie West 9 remained active for more than four decades. The abandoned installation contains building ruins, generators, vehicles, cables, pipes, waste dumps, and approximately 1.5 metric tons of discarded batteries. Environmental investigations documented elevated concentrations of petroleum, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, and mercury in soils. Approximately eleven metric tons of hazardous or contaminated waste remain. Danish and Greenlandic authorities have identified the site as a priority for future cleanup.

Part II — The Bluie East Installations

Bluie East 1 (Ikerasassuaq / Prince Christian Sound) U.S. Operation:1942–1945 (later operated by the Danish Meteorological Institute) No Photo

Established as a weather and radio station near Cape Farewell, Bluie East 1 played an important role in Allied North Atlantic weather forecasting during World War II. The installation consisted of a harbor, power plant, radio facilities, living quarters, and support buildings connected by a long wooden staircase. Unlike many other American installations in Greenland, little is known about what environmental contamination remains. Danish authorities report that no formal environmental assessment has been conducted, leaving uncertainty about whether hazardous materials from the wartime occupation persist beneath or around the site. 

Bluie East 2 (Ikkatteq) U.S. Operation:1942–1947

Ikkatteq was one of the largest American airfields on Greenland's east coast, serving as both a refueling stop and radio surveillance station with a wartime population approaching 600 personnel. When abandoned, the base contained more than 100,000 oil drums scattered across the landscape, dozens of military vehicles, batteries, collapsed buildings, and structures containing asbestos. Environmental investigations documented extensive petroleum contamination together with PCBs, lead, and cadmium. Authorities concluded that contamination posed direct risks to both wildlife and people. Although cleanup began years ago, significant remediation remains unfinished.

Bluie East 3 (Walrus Bay) U.S. Operation: 1942–1945

This small weather and radio station on Greenland's east coast supported Allied operations with a complement of approximately fourteen personnel. Although relatively modest in size, environmental investigators classified the site's overall environmental impact as significant. Abandoned structures, fuel drum storage areas, and military debris remained after the American withdrawal. Scrap metal was removed in 2022, but no comprehensive environmental investigation has been completed, leaving unanswered questions regarding remaining soil and groundwater contamination. 

Bluie East 4 (Ella Island) U.S. Operation: 1942–1945 No Photo

Located within what is now Northeast Greenland National Park, Bluie East 4 served as a wartime weather and radio station. Limited information survives regarding the installation, although investigators have identified abandoned building foundations likely containing petroleum residues and mercury. Engineering studies characterize the site's environmental impact as moderate, but its protected status has limited investigation and cleanup activities. Consequently, the full extent of contamination remains unknown.

Bluie East 5 (Eskimonæs) U.S. Operation: 1942–1943 No photo

Bluie East 5 was the northernmost American installation on Greenland's east coast. The original station was destroyed during a German raid in 1943, after which operations were relocated elsewhere. Environmental investigations suggest that mercury contamination and petroleum residues remain at the original location. Because the site lies within a protected national park, it has been excluded from Denmark's post-2018 cleanup initiative. No comprehensive environmental assessment has yet been completed, leaving the extent of contamination uncertain.

Cape Cort Adelaer U.S. Operation: Approximately 1943–1945

Cape Cort Adelaer served as a small weather and radio station supporting Allied operations along Greenland's eastern coast. Investigators have identified abandoned fuel storage tanks and numerous building foundations remaining from the American occupation. Engineering assessments conclude that the site likely contains mercury, petroleum contamination, asbestos, and heavy metals, resulting in an overall environmental impact classified as significant. Although historical research has begun, no comprehensive environmental investigation has yet been completed.

Skjoldungen (Louis Boplads) U.S. Operation: 1943–Approximately 1948

Constructed as a weather station during World War II, Skjoldungen appears to have been abandoned largely intact. Engineering investigations describe large quantities of scattered waste, including chemicals, broken glass, discarded clothing, medication residues, and other debris left where they were originally discarded. Environmental assessments conclude that mercury, petroleum contamination, heavy metals, and asbestos are likely present, resulting in a significant environmental impact. Historical investigations are underway, although no comprehensive field assessment has yet been completed.

Atterbery Dome (Comanche Bay) U.S. Operation: Approximately 1943–1945

Atterbery Dome was a small radio and rescue station established during World War II along Greenland's east coast. Although modest in size, engineering investigations classify its environmental impact as significant. Remaining contamination is believed to include petroleum residues, mercury, asbestos, and heavy metals associated with deteriorating military infrastructure. Authorities have commissioned historical research to better document the installation before determining whether a full environmental investigation or cleanup should proceed.

Part III — Camp Century, the Pituffik Research Camps, Ice Cap Sites, and DYE Stations

Camp Century U.S. Operation:1959–1966(dangerous nuclear reactor operated 1960–1964)

Constructed beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet approximately 150 miles east of Thule Air Base, Camp Century was the most ambitious American military installation ever built in the Arctic. Although presented publicly as a scientific research station, it also served as a testbed for Project Iceworm, a classified proposal to deploy nuclear missiles beneath the ice.

Politiken reports: "When the camp was abandoned, the nuclear reactor had been removed, but an estimated 24 million liters of radioactive cooling wastewater, 200,000 liters of diesel fuel, sewage, and roughly 9,000 metric tons of construction debris were left entombed beneath the ice. As climate warming accelerates ice loss, researchers warn these materials could eventually re-enter the environment."

Military Poisons note: NASA’s summary of the underlying scientific research describes the waste inventory somewhat differently. According to NASA, Camp Century contains approximately 200,000 liters of diesel fuel, 24 million liters of wastewater, including sewage, an unknown quantity of low-level radioactive waste, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). NASA's description does not characterize the entire 24 million liters of wastewater as "radioactive cooling wastewater."

Camp Nuto (Nunatarssuaq Take Off / Camp Red Rock) U.S. Operation:Approximately 1953–1960s   No Photo

‍Camp Nuto was one of several research facilities established near Thule Air Base to study the engineering properties of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Researchers conducted experiments on ice ramps and vehicle operations under Arctic conditions that supported later military construction projects. Environmental investigations indicate petroleum contamination remains at the site, although the overall environmental impact has been classified as moderate. Because Camp Nuto lies within the active Pituffik military complex, it has not been included in Denmark's national cleanup program and has received only limited environmental evaluation.

Camp Tuto (Thule Take Off) U.S. Operation:1954–Early 1960s‍ ‍

Located roughly 25 kilometers southeast of Thule Air Base, Camp Tuto became one of the Army's principal Arctic engineering laboratories. Approximately 450 personnel were stationed there to study tunnel construction beneath glaciers and excavation through frozen permafrost. Engineers built a 400-meter tunnel within the ice to evaluate the feasibility of large underground military facilities. Little public information exists concerning waste left behind, and no comprehensive environmental investigation has been reported. Because the camp remains within the broader Pituffik military area, it has not been scheduled for cleanup.

Camp Fistclench U.S. Operation:Mid-1950s–1959 No Photo

Camp Fistclench served as the direct predecessor to Camp Century. Constructed beneath the ice using covered trenches, the installation allowed Army engineers to test construction techniques later employed for the much larger Camp Century project. Scientific work focused on snow mechanics, ice behavior, and the effects of explosives on glacial ice. Following completion of Camp Century, Camp Fistclench was abandoned. Little documentation exists concerning remaining debris or contamination, and no comprehensive environmental assessment has been reported.

Ice Cap Site I U.S. Operation:1953–1954 to late 1950s No Photo

Ice Cap Site I formed part of an experimental network of radar stations constructed on the Greenland Ice Sheet to provide early warning of potential Soviet air attacks against Thule Air Base. Harsh environmental conditions and the logistical difficulty of maintaining the station limited its operational life. Publicly available information does not identify what equipment or waste remains beneath the ice, and no formal environmental assessment has been conducted.

Ice Cap Site II  U.S. Operation:1953–1954 to late 1950s No Photo

Constructed alongside Ice Cap Site I, this radar installation supported the defense of Thule Air Base during the early years of the Cold War. The station was abandoned after only a few years because maintaining remote facilities on the moving ice sheet proved impractical. Little information is available regarding remaining infrastructure or environmental contamination, and no comprehensive environmental investigation has been completed.

DYE-1 (Red River)   U.S. Operation:1950s–1988

.

DYE-1 was one of four massive radar stations comprising Greenland's portion of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, established to detect Soviet bombers approaching North America across the Arctic. The mountaintop installation featured a large radar dome and extensive support facilities. Following closure in 1988, the Greenland Self-Government reportedly undertook cleanup activities, burying waste dumps and storage areas. Unlike many former U.S. installations, DYE-1 is generally considered to have undergone substantial remediation, although little environmental data has been published.

 

DYE-2 (Sea Bass) U.S. Operation: Late 1950s–1980s

Built directly on the Greenland Ice Sheet, DYE-2 monitored Arctic airspace around the clock as part of the DEW Line. Fuel tanks and heavy infrastructure were embedded within the ice. The station was abandoned rapidly at the end of its operational life, leaving large quantities of equipment behind with the expectation that the ice sheet would permanently entomb the facility.

DYE-3 (Sob Story) U.S. Operation: Late 1950s–1980s

Like DYE-2, DYE-3 operated as an elevated radar station supported by ski-equipped aircraft that delivered personnel and supplies onto the Greenland Ice Sheet. In 1972, a U.S. Air Force C-130 transport crash-landed near the station. After useful equipment was removed, much of the aircraft was buried within the ice. The station itself was abandoned with substantial infrastructure remaining.  

Politiken reports that the United States contributed funds for cleanup at DYE-2 and DYE-3, but publicly available records I reviewed do not substantiate that claim.

The documented cleanup agreement appears to have been financed by Denmark and Greenland, not the United States.

DYE-4 (Big Gun) U.S. Operation:1950s–1991

Perched atop a mountain near Kulusuk, DYE-4 was the easternmost radar station in Greenland's DEW Line. The installation contained massive rotating radar antennas housed within a large radome that monitored northern airspace throughout the Cold War. After closure in 1991, the station was dismantled by Greenland authorities in 1994, and much of the material was buried in local landfills. Only foundations remain visible today. No formal environmental assessment has been reported following the demolition.

This section highlights a striking contrast. Many of the World War II installations were abandoned with visible debris—oil drums, vehicles, buildings, and dumps. The Cold War facilities often left a different legacy: buried infrastructure, petroleum products, and, in the case of Camp Century, radioactive wastewater and diesel fuel sealed beneath the ice. As the Greenland Ice Sheet continues to thin, these hidden legacies may become increasingly important to environmental monitoring and international policy.

Part IV — LORAN Stations, Radio Stations, Artillery Sites, and Other Installations

Gamatron U.S. Operation:1942–1958

Established near present-day Qaqortoq, Gamatron served as a weather station, radio station, and submarine observation post supporting Allied operations in the North Atlantic. After the Americans departed, they left 34 buildings, six storage areas containing hundreds of oil drums, multiple waste dumps, and an estimated 175–185 metric tons of abandoned military waste. Environmental investigations found contamination severe enough that water from a nearby lake was declared unsuitable for drinking because of pollution originating from an abandoned dump.

 

Qutdleq U.S. Operation: 1960–1978

Qutdleq was constructed as a LORAN (Long Range Navigation) station on a small island in southeastern Greenland. Following its closure, numerous deteriorating buildings, communications masts, and large fuel storage tanks remained on the site. While the abandoned infrastructure is well documented, no comprehensive environmental investigation has yet been completed, leaving uncertainty regarding possible petroleum contamination or hazardous materials associated with the former installation.

Orssuiagssuaq U.S. Operation:1960–1977

Built as another LORAN navigation station, Orssuiagssuaq was abandoned with communications towers, storage tanks, ruined buildings, and deteriorating barracks still standing decades after closure. Although the physical remains have been documented photographically, authorities have not yet completed an environmental assessment. Historical investigations are expected before decisions are made regarding cleanup or remediation of the site.

Sabine Island U.S. Operation:1959–Early 1960s

Sabine Island housed a small unmanned radio beacon located within a protected bird sanctuary. Although the station itself was modest, approximately thirty-five discarded industrial batteries remain near the antenna building, many with exposed lead cores. Authorities have concluded that the battery dump presents a potential source of heavy metal contamination. Because the installation lies within a protected wildlife area, no formal environmental assessment or cleanup has been scheduled.

 

Nipisat U.S. Operation: 1954–1975

Nipisat served as a LORAN navigation station on Greenland's west coast. Environmental investigations documented multiple oil and gasoline storage tanks together with at least three confirmed petroleum spills. Engineers concluded that the site also contains PCBs, pesticides, mercury, heavy metals, and asbestos. One municipal official described the abandoned station as "something of a disaster," noting that extensive vandalism had left the once-important military installation in a severely deteriorated condition despite its location in an area of exceptional natural value.

 Angissoq U.S. Operation: 1963–1994 No Photo

One of Greenland's last LORAN navigation stations, Angissoq remained in operation until satellite navigation rendered the system obsolete. The abandoned installation includes remnants of twenty-three buildings, a power plant, fuel storage facilities, and coastal waste dumps. Environmental investigators documented petroleum contamination near former fuel tanks and observed that coastal erosion is gradually exposing buried waste to the sea. A comprehensive environmental investigation has not yet been completed.

Cape Atholl U.S. Operation: 1954–1972

Located near Thule Air Base, Cape Atholl operated as a U.S. Coast Guard LORAN navigation station. Environmental investigations documented severe petroleum contamination, including free-phase oil, PCB-contaminated building materials, batteries, cable scrap, burned refuse, and mixed waste buried in coastal bluffs. Investigators observed erosion exposing buried debris directly onto the shoreline, creating potential pathways into the marine environment. The site also presents possible risks to wildlife, including walruses using nearby beaches. Danish and Greenlandic authorities are planning cleanup operations.

Artillery Point U.S. Operation: 1941–1946

Artillery Point defended the strategically important Narsarsuaq airfield with two 155-mm coastal guns during World War II. Following the war, approximately seventeen metric tons of military waste remained, including abandoned buildings, construction materials, and a small landfill. Environmental investigations identified petroleum contamination together with low concentrations of lead and cadmium. Because the contamination is relatively limited and the site possesses historical significance, the National Museum of Greenland has recommended that the area remain largely undisturbed.

 

Camp Corbett U.S. Operation: 1942–1958

Camp Corbett functioned as a communications station supporting the nearby Narsarsuaq air base. The installation contained emergency generators, fuel tanks, hundreds of utility poles, multiple dumps, and buried waste disposal areas. Investigators estimate that at least 377 metric tons of military waste remain, including approximately 314 metric tons classified as hazardous or contaminated. Contaminants include PCBs, asbestos, heavy metals, and tar residues. Cleanup has begun, but officials report that massive reinforced concrete foundations will require extensive excavation and blasting before remediation can be completed.

Conclusion

While the Trump administration is “negotiating” with Denmark for access to three additional military installations in Greenland, and President Trump is making threatening remarks about U.S. intentions, the talks between Washington, Copenhagen, and Nuuk remain fixated on sovereignty and strategic positioning. Consequently, a critical geopolitical blind spot persists: the massive environmental liabilities scattered across dozens of legacy American military installations. These sites contain a hazardous catalog of contaminated soils, abandoned landfills, deteriorating fuel infrastructure, PCBs, petroleum, unexploded ordnance, and PFAS. Most critically, Camp Century holds radioactive and toxic waste entombed beneath the rapidly melting Greenland Ice Sheet.

Although President Trump’s critique of Danish spending in Greenland was likely unmoored from these specific ecological realities, it inadvertently highlighted a profound structural failure. The paltry sums Copenhagen has allocated to investigate and remediate this contamination pale in comparison to the actual scale of the crisis. Remediation at Camp Century alone could soar into billions of euros.

How, then, in the face of this catastrophic reality, can the Danish government continue to hide behind passive diplomatic platitudes?

While the Danish Foreign Minister publicly insists that Denmark will protect Greenland’s independence from political takeover, why are they not screaming from the rooftops about eighty years of toxic American negligence?

The environmental criminality cannot be overstated while Copenhagen treats this assault as a footnote. As Danish officials sit at the negotiating table to grant the U.S. military even more access to Greenlandic soil, why are they not aggressively demanding full, immediate remediation as a non-negotiable prerequisite? How can Copenhagen claim to stand for Greenlandic sovereignty while letting the United States get away with a multi-billion-dollar ecological crime?

Please see the Greenland Appendix containing a spreadsheet that displays the kinds of information shown here on all 36 abandoned sites in Greenland.

PFAS Results Raise More Questions Than Answers

Part 1 of a 3-part series. Part 2 will examine U.S.-caused contamination at each of the 36 individual facilities in Greenland. Part 3 will survey the appeals U.S. veterans have filed with the U.S. Veterans Administration, claiming cancers and disease as a result of their exposure to toxins in Greenland.

By Pat Elder
July 4, 2026

‍Pituffik Space Base is likely to be heavily contaminated with PFAS, but the U.S. Department of War refuses to divulge pertinent data.

‍When the Danish newspaper Politiken reported on July 1, 2026, that groundwater at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base in Greenland contained 1,100 parts per trillion (ng/L) of PFOS, the finding immediately attracted international attention. The concentration greatly exceeds current European drinking water standards and adds to growing alarm over PFAS contamination at former and active U.S. military installations worldwide.

1,100 parts per trillion of PFOS? What exactly does the reported number represent? Searching for the answer provides insight into the U.S. military’s sloppy culture of non-disclosure in Greenland and around the world.  

Based on the results, the public cannot determine:

• the exact sampling location,

• whether the sample came from a drinking water well or a monitoring well,

• the depth of the well,

• the screened interval,

• whether the water was collected before or after treatment,

‍ Without this information, we don’t have a clue.

‍This is not only an issue for Greenland. Communities living near active and  former U.S. military installations in England, Germany, Japan, and elsewhere are asking the same questions as they seek to understand how decades of military firefighting activities have poisoned their environment and what can be done to protect their health. They’re not getting much help from the Americans.

The U.S. military uses carcinogenic aqueouos film-forming foam ( AFFF ) in about 1,500 facilities and over 6,800 mobile assets worldwide. Release of AFFF into the environment, either through accidental releases, or for fire training and emergency use, has resulted in PFAS detections in drinking water and groundwater in and around DOD installations, according to the  U.S. General Accounting Office in 2024.  

Public resentment around the world is building because the American public knows a great deal more about the specifics of the contamination in the U.S. than “foreigners” do at any of these places. Individual states are taking actions, based on The PFAS data released by the Department of War, to protect the health of their citizens.  

‍The lack of accountability for U.S. military pollution in Greenland stems from Article XI of the 1951 Defense of Greenland Agreement. This clause freed the U.S. from any legal obligation to clean up or restore its military bases. The treaty states:

‍ It is understood that any areas or facilities made available to the  Government of the United States of America under this Agreement need not be left in the condition in which they were at the time they were thus made available.”

‍This sentence is extraordinarily broad. It contains no environmental standard, no restoration requirement, no cleanup obligation, and no obligation to compensate for environmental damage, so the U.S. can tell Denmark to go to hell when it complains of environmental tyranny. The same is largely true under the SOFA agreements (Status of Forces Agreements) that set the tone between the great Goliath of 1945 and its many subjects today.

‍Section 345 of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, (NDAA)

‍When Congress mandated that the Department of Defense test off-base drinking water for PFAS contamination, it effectively left the Pentagon to police itself. By assigning the execution, reporting, and oversight of the PFAS program to the military's own internal PFAS Task Force, Congress created an inherent conflict of interest that complicates independent accountability.

‍The DOD is fundamentally stonewalling its statutory reporting requirements. Despite identifying 723 domestic bases  that utilized PFAS-containing firefighting foams, the Pentagon has only submitted data for 86 installations in response to Section 345 of the FY2022 NDAA. Even this minimal disclosure is functionally hollow, leaving major gaps where critical concentration metrics are omitted entirely.

‍A close examination of the records associated with Pituffik Space Base in Greenland raises serious questions about how the data have been organized and presented to the public.

What the Pentagon’s Website Says‍ ‍

Marketed as a sophisticated public transparency initiative, the Department of War’s PFAS database ostensibly delivers the final results of off-base drinking water testing mandated by Section 345 of the FY2022 NDAA. According to the Pentagon, these assessments are designed to determine whether military-related PFAS contamination has migrated beyond base boundaries into local drinking water supplies. However, a closer look at the data reveals that this transparency is largely performative.

The Unexpected Discovery of Pituffik’s PFAS data

The structural flaws of the DOD’s PFAS database are not limited to missing values; the platform’s underlying data architecture displays bizarre anomalies that further obscure transparency. For example, querying the database for Colorado’s Peterson Space Force Base (SFB) mistakenly returns data records for Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.

A broader examination of the eight primary U.S. Space Force installations reveals a stark institutional disparity: while six bases yield "no records found" and one returns just 11 rows, Pituffik SB accounts for a staggering 27,595 rows of data. This erratic indexing and massive data imbalance strongly suggest that the database is functionally compromised, undermining its statutory utility under Section 345 of the 2022 NDAA.

U.S. Dept. of Defense, Off-Base Drinking Water Information: PFAS Testing Database, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, https://www.acq.osd.mil/eie/eer/ecc/pfas/map/pfasmap.html (last visited July 3, 2026) (demonstrating indexing anomaly where a query for "Peterson SFB (CO)" returns records for "Pituffik SB (Greenland)" via the "Advanced Search" interface).

Looking Inside the Exported Spreadsheet

A granular look inside the exported spreadsheet reveals profound structural anomalies that challenge basic data integrity protocols. While the Pituffik dataset resembles a conventional laboratory database on the surface, a deeper audit reveals irreconcilable duplication errors.

A raw snapshot of the DOD’s exported Pituffik spreadsheet sorted by analyte concentration. A single physical water sample (ID: C256053) displays impossible redundancy, containing multiple, varying numeric results for identical compounds (like PFHxS and PFOS) taken on the exact same date.

When sorted by Laboratory Sample ID, individual identifiers contain numerous repeated measurements of identical compounds. For example, a single sample identifier—C256053—contains 252 analytical rows detailing eighteen unique PFAS analytes. Crucially, each analyte appears exactly fourteen distinct times under the same sampling date, analytical method (QSM_B15), and laboratory contract number. Even more perplexing is that these repeated records are simultaneously split across three conflicting treatment categories: No Treatment, Pre-Treatment, and Post-Treatment.

Ask the Artist Blue what he meant by this.

In standard environmental engineering and legal chain-of-custody protocols, a single Laboratory Sample ID isolates one physical sample. It cannot simultaneously represent pre-filtered and post-filtered water. The Pentagon’s platform offers zero documentation or methodology to explain why these contradictory treatment phases are compressed into single identifiers, rendering the data functionally uninterpretable. What were they thinking?

Putting the Pituffik Results into Context

To accurately assess the Pituffik database concentrations, it is critical to distinguish between different regulatory sampling methodologies. The Pentagon states that this portal tracks off-base drinking water under Section 345 of the FY2022 NDAA. This represents point-of-consumption monitoring, which is fundamentally distinct from the source-zone groundwater investigations that initially brought military PFAS contamination to national attention.

For context, the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) landmark 2019 report analyzed raw groundwater directly beneath or adjacent to 100 military installations.

Figure 2: Top 15 U.S. military installations ranked by maximum historical PFAS concentrations detected in groundwater (measured in parts per trillion / ppt). Data adapted from historic source-zone investigations.

Concentrated near historic fire-training areas where aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) was heavily discharged, those groundwater samples yielded extraordinary concentrations. Because these monitoring wells target undiluted source zones, their metrics are predictably orders of magnitude higher than finished drinking water supplies.

Groundwater monitoring wells located immediately adjacent to historic fire training areas are designed to locate contamination near its source. They examine highly contaminated groundwater before a great deal of dilution occurs. Establishing these historical baselines remains vital to understanding what is to be expected when examining military installations.

To illustrate the scale of these historical source-zone investigations, Figure 2 highlights the peak groundwater concentrations compiled from these landmark military assessments.

As documented above, raw groundwater adjacent to historic fire-training areas reached extraordinary levels. At the most impacted sites—such as England Air Force Base in Louisiana and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California—total PFAS concentrations reached 20.7 million and 8 million parts per trillion (ppt), respectively.

These extreme values represent the raw, undiluted toxic footprint at the source of the discharge. They serve as an important baseline when evaluating the available data from the six U.S. Space Force bases, allowing us to determine if Pituffik's anomalies extend to its actual toxicological profile.

 Domestic Baselines: Space Force Groundwater Concentrations

To evaluate what might be expected within the hidden records of Pituffik Space Base, we can isolate historical source-zone groundwater data from six primary U.S. Space Force installations. Because these metrics target undiluted groundwater near historical fire-training zones, they illustrate the raw scale of baseline contamination prior to environmental migration or dilution.

Figure 3 compiles the peak total PFAS concentrations and specific compound counts reported across these domestic facilities.

Figure 3: Peak historical total PFAS concentrations (measured in parts per trillion / ppt) and corresponding compound distributions across six domestic U.S. Space Force installations.

The mathematical average across these six domestic installations sits at approximately 1,143,000 ppt of total PFAS. To put this into perspective, this historical groundwater baseline is more than a thousand times higher than the 1,100 ppt concentration  recently reported by the Danish newspaper Politiken regarding Pituffik.

Critically, this comparison represents a distinct methodological asymmetry. We are comparing apples to oranges. While the domestic Space Force data captures raw, undiluted source groundwater, the Pentagon’s Section 345 testing theoretically targets off-base drinking water supplies used by neighboring communities. These two testing frameworks evaluate entirely different phases of the human exposure pathway—moving from the heavily contaminated source zone to the finished public tap.

However, tracking this migration remains a profound regulatory challenge. By routinely omitting critical metadata—such as exact GPS coordinates and sample well depths—the Department of Defense leaves independent scientists, lawyers, and the public to guess how these toxic source zones physically connect to public drinking water supplies. and how the contamination impacts multiple environmental media.

Welcome to the U.S. Military’s International PFAS Testing Dog and Pony Show!

‍ ‍Playing a shell game with the depth of testing

Sometimes we will see results in a PFAS Site Inspection from a surficial aquifer near the surface at a fire training area and the levels may be surprisingly low because the carcinogens may have seeped deeper into the ground. We may also see data at the same location taken from 200 feet below the surface, showing low, or even non-existent levels. To get the real picture we would need to examine results from every ten feet down or so. This way, we might find concentrations of total PFAS exceeding hundreds of thousands of parts per trillion somewhere in between.

By withholding both geographic coordinates and depth metadata, the Pentagon leaves the world’s public with a spatial blackout.

The Politiken Disclosure: Unmasking a Fabricated Baseline

The recent investigation by the Danish newspaper Politiken drew vital international attention to a reported PFOS concentration of 1,100 nanograms per liter (ng/L or ppt) associated with Pituffik Space Base. While this reporting represents a critical contribution to public awareness—offering a stark glimpse into a broader legacy of environmental degradation left by decades of U.S. military operations in Greenland—the metric itself originates from a deeply flawed source.

While the Pentagon's exported spreadsheet does contain raw PFOS entries that match this1,100 ppt figure, the underlying architecture of the dataset severely undermines its credibility. Because individual Laboratory Sample IDs are structurally compromised, confounding the data with unexplained duplicate rows and overlapping treatment categories, the entire database lacks the baseline integrity required for scientific or legal validation.

Ultimately, these pervasive structural errors create an information vacuum. Because the data lacks fundamental reliability and the Department of War provides no public transparency channels, independent investigators are left with a chaotic dataset that raises far more questions than it answers, completely obscuring the true scale of the toxic footprint at Pituffik.

Regulatory Miscalculations: Disentangling Water Concentrations from Dietary Limits

The Politikenreport quotes an expert claiming that the 1,100 ppt PFOS finding at Pituffik represents “about 250 times the EU limit.” This assertion conflates two distinct toxicological metrics.

The European Union’s statutory framework handles these limits through separate mechanisms:

• EU Drinking Water Directive: Establishes a maximum contaminant level of 100 ng/L for the sum of 20 individual PFAS compounds (including PFOS).

• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) : Sets a Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) of 4.4 nanograms per kilogram (ng/kg) of body weight per week for the combined mass of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS.

Dividing the reported 1,100 ng/L by the media's stated factor of 250 yields exactly 4.4 - confirming that the source material mistakenly swapped an ambient drinking water threshold with a physiological dietary intake ceiling.

Let’s make this real

Data from the Forever Pollution Project illustrates the staggering discrepancy between regulatory limits and dietary reality. Fish from the Damhussøen reservoir in Copenhagen have been recorded containing 311,000 ng/kg (311 ng/g) of PFOS. ‍ ‍

• A minuscule 0.08-gram fleck of this fish (portrayed here) contains 24.88 ng of PFOS. (.08 × 311 ng/g) This single crumb accounts for nearly 23% of the total weekly allowance (110 ng) for a 25-kilogram child under EFSA’s guidelines.

•  A typical 200-gram meal of this same catch delivers a massive 62,200 nanograms of PFOS. For that same child, this single meal represents 565 times the recommended weekly toxicological limit—and over 190 times the weekly ceiling for an average adult.

=========================

An expanding consensus among international toxicologists on both sides of the Atlantic maintains that no level of exposure to these bioaccumulative carcinogens is safe.

There’s so much more!

There are actually 40,000 types of PFAS. The Pentagon is providing compromised results for 40 compounds at Pituffik. That’s .1% of all the compounds potentially out there.  

40 PFAS compounds reported by the U.S. Military

Ask British, German, and Japanese scientists and environmentalists if they are frustrated by the lack of U.S. transparency. The dutiful corporate media is doing a lousy job reporting on the lack of data, the sobering science, and the world’s frustration.

Polar Bears and the Arctic Marine Food Web

PFAS contamination in the Arctic is not confined to military bases. Scientific reviews show that PFAS also reach the Arctic through long-range atmospheric and oceanic transport, also contaminating seawater, sediments, aquatic organisms, seabirds, marine mammals, and polar bears. In Arctic marine food webs, PFOS and related compounds can biomagnify, with the highest burdens often found in top predators such as polar bears and seabird eggs. Beyond accumulating in polar bears and other Arctic predators, PFAS have been linked to altered gene expression, immune suppression, reproductive impairment, and epigenetic changes that may affect future generations. 

Biologists, toxicologists, and geneticists are actively investigating whether the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) can survive the dual threat of climate change and genetic modification or if we are watching the final generations of the species as it has historically existed. The people who run this world just don’t give a damn. For them, if there’s no market-based solution or lucrative capitalist incentive for carrying it out, well then, there’s no solution.

And just one more parting shot, in U.S. military parlance.

In addition to PFAS, petroleum-related contaminants are commonly associated with military installations in Greenland. Releases from fuel storage areas, pipelines, refueling operations, vehicle maintenance facilities, and spills often result in contamination by benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), along with a wide range of petroleum hydrocarbons. We know that certain American bases in Greenland have been severely and permanently contaminated with nuclear radiation.

Other compounds that may be present include vinyl chloride, which can form as chlorinated solvents degrade in the environment, as well as metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and combustion byproducts associated with historical military activities. At Arctic bases such contaminants can become trapped in frozen soils and permafrost for decades, only to be mobilized as permafrost thaws, potentially creating long-term sources of contamination to groundwater, streams, wetlands, and the broader ecosystem.

Bummer.

How do we talk sense into these knuckleheads?

By Pat Elder
July 1, 2026

Left- AI-generated illustration depicting a homeless encampment on the Fort Ord coastal dunes. Right – The yellow dots show homeless encampments. - California Department of Parks and Recreation, 2025 Annual Report, Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

A 2025 California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and California State Parks Annual Report documents that significant quantities of lead bullets remain on the surface of portions of Fort Ord Dunes State Park nearly three decades after half-hearted remediation efforts were completed by the Army. Quarterly inspections continue to identify huge areas with bullet cover, while annual lead removal operations continue to recover substantial quantities of lead from the dunes. 

‍ Buckets containing lead bullets and fragments collected from the sand dunes at the former Fort Ord, popular with vacationers.  - California Department of Parks and Recreation 2025 Annual Report, Fort Ord Dunes State Park

In December 2025 alone, State Parks personnel removed 106 pounds of lead bullets from Ranges 15 and 16 after identifying areas of concentrated surface contamination during routine inspections. The report also documents continuing homeless encampments within former firing ranges and the construction of a new campground in portions of the historic military training area.

‍These findings raise important questions regarding potential human exposure to lead among several groups of park users, particularly individuals who spend extended periods in the dunes.

Magnitude of the Remaining Contamination

The Army claims that the cleanup of contamination at the beach is complete, but they are lying to the public.  Rather, it has become an ongoing management issue for the state, requiring repeated inspections and recurring removal activities. Surface inspections conducted throughout 2025 found concentrations of lead bullets in many of the same locations identified during inspections conducted between 2017 and 2022. Inspectors continue to map visible bullets, remove smaller accumulations during quarterly inspections, and schedule larger cleanup operations where concentrations remain elevated. The recovery of more than one hundred pounds of lead during a single cleanup event illustrates that substantial quantities of metallic lead remain accessible at or near the surface in portions of the former firing ranges.‍ ‍

Tens of thousands of soldiers trained each year for more than 50 years.  The cumulative total of bullets reached into the billions of rounds.

Unlike many former military ranges located on stable soils, Fort Ord occupies an active coastal dune system. Sand movement driven by strong coastal winds, winter storms, bluff erosion, and wave action continually reshapes the landscape. The annual report itself notes continuing bluff erosion caused by winter storms and ongoing wind erosion in portions of the park. These natural processes can expose bullets that were previously buried beneath sand while simultaneously burying others.

Areas appearing relatively clean during one inspection may later contain newly exposed bullets following periods of strong winds or storm erosion, explaining why annual inspections and repeated cleanup efforts remain necessary decades after the initial remediation. Of course, the Army understood this when they proclaimed a clean bill of health for the dunes many years ago. It’s the same story in many places around the world. They just don’t give a damn.

 Potential Exposure to Campground Visitors

A new campground is being constructed under the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, (DTSC) oversight, with environmental monitoring during grading activities. These measures reduce, but do not eliminate the likelihood of direct exposure within the campground itself. Nevertheless, campground visitors are naturally drawn to explore the surrounding dunes, particularly children and families. Individuals leaving designated areas and entering former firing ranges may encounter visible lead bullets or fragments exposed at the surface. Contact with contaminated sand may result in incidental ingestion through ordinary hand-to-mouth activity, while windblown dust generated during dry conditions may provide an additional pathway for inhalation exposure.

Homeless Encampments

The annual report documents that law enforcement removed homeless encampments from Range 1 during 2025. Individuals residing within former firing ranges may experience considerably greater opportunities for lead exposure than recreational visitors because of the duration and nature of their activities.

Living in the dunes often requires repeated disturbance of surface sands while constructing campsites, leveling sleeping areas, digging fire pits, or building makeshift shelters. These activities increase direct contact with surface soils where lead bullets remain. Windblown sand can accumulate on bedding, clothing, food, cooking utensils, and personal belongings, creating repeated opportunities for ingestion and inhalation. Individuals living outdoors also spend many hours each day in direct contact with the ground, substantially increasing cumulative exposure compared with visitors spending only a few hours in the park.

The annual report documents the continued presence of homeless encampments but does not discuss whether environmental lead exposure has been evaluated among these individuals or whether any public health assessment has been conducted.

Potential Exposure Among Hikers and Other Recreational Users

See Monterey Magnet Man’s brilliant YouTube video. He found 93 bullets while metal detecting in a small area on the Fort Ord Dunes.

Many hikers leave established paths to explore the dunes, former bunkers, and the historic military landscape. Those entering former firing ranges may encounter visible lead bullets or fragments resting on or near the surface. Sitting directly on contaminated sand, allowing children to play in affected areas, handling bullets as curiosities, or disturbing surface sediments during recreation all provide plausible pathways for lead exposure. Although exposure during a single visit is likely to be relatively small, repeated recreational use of contaminated areas could increase cumulative contact over time.

Occupational Safety Highlights an Important Concern

An important observation emerges from the annual report. State Parks personnel conducting lead removal operations wear gloves, long sleeves, safety glasses, and N95 respirators while collecting bullets from the dunes. These protective measures acknowledge that collecting and disturbing lead-contaminated materials presents an occupational exposure concern. In contrast, members of the public entering former firing ranges generally receive no comparable protective equipment and may be unaware that visible lead bullets remain present on the ground surface.

Conclusions

The 2025 DTSC annual report demonstrates that lead contamination remains a serious management issue within portions of Fort Ord Dunes State Park. Continuing inspections, repeated bullet mapping, and the recovery of 106 pounds of lead during a single cleanup operation indicate that substantial quantities of lead remain accessible on or near the surface of the former firing ranges. The report further documents continuing coastal erosion, ongoing dune migration, recurring homeless encampments, and the ongoing need for lead removal, indicating that this is not a static contamination site but a constantly changing coastal environment where storms and wind can expose previously buried bullets.

The potential for human exposure varies considerably depending upon how the park is used, although we must keep in mind that lead bullets weather through physical abrasion and chemical corrosion. Weathering produces small lead-containing particles that adhere to fine sand and dust. The strong coastal winds suspend these fine particles in the air where they can be inhaled.

Campground visitors using the new facilities are likely to experience some exposure, while hikers who leave designated trails may encounter highly contaminated areas. Individuals living for extended periods within homeless encampments located inside former firing ranges may experience the greatest opportunity for repeated exposure because of prolonged contact with contaminated sand, windblown dust, and surface lead. Additional environmental monitoring and public health evaluation, particularly regarding populations residing within the former firing ranges, would provide a stronger scientific basis for evaluating the magnitude of these potential risks.‍‍‍ ‍

How one contaminated stream exposed Maryland's failure to investigate PFAS pollution from fire training facilities.

By Pat Elder
June 26, 2026

PFAS-contaminated water from the old Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Training Academy in Rockville flows nine miles downstream through Muddy Branch before entering the Potomac River immediately adjacent to Pennyfield Lock (Lock 22) on the C&O Canal, shown here.

‍Muddy Branch Exposed a Statewide Failure to Investigate PFAS Contamination from Fire Training Facilities across Maryland.

‍The “discovery” of severe PFAS contamination in Muddy Branch was entirely predictable. The former Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy used carcinogenic firefighting foams for 40 years. The training academy had direct hydrologic connections to nearby streams and stormwater ponds.

Across Maryland, there are well over a hundred locations like Muddy Branch where firefighting foams containing PFAS were historically used. These sites include military bases, civilian airports, municipal fire stations, and firefighter training grounds. These locations are expected to have contaminated nearby surface waters, groundwater, sediment, fish, and wildlife in much the same way that we are witnessing the contamination unfold in Muddy Branch.

‍The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has not publicly acknowledged the likely PFAS contamination associated with the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI)  regional fire training centers across the state, despite the well-established history of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) use at fire training facilities across the staate and nationwide. ‘

The regional training centers are listed here.

Similarly, the MDE has ignored the contamination flowing from the county-owned and operated fire training facilities statewide, at these locations.

The old Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy was located at the intersection of Great Seneca Highway and Darnestown Road, immediately adjacent to the Muddy Branch watershed. It closed in 2016 when operations moved to the new academy at 8751 Snouffer School Road.

The Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy at 8751 Snouffer School Road contains multiple live-fire training structures where Class B AFFF was likely used for flammable-liquid fire training before Maryland prohibited such training uses in 2021. Because the academy is situated immediately adjacent to the Cabin Branch watershed, PFAS released during historical training activities would be expected to migrate through stormwater runoff and shallow groundwater into nearby Cabin Branch. PFAS in the watershed may ultimately reach the Potomac River at Riley's Lock, about 16 miles away.

Maryland has not undertaken a systematic statewide investigation of either the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute's regional training centers or county-operated fire training academies, despite decades of PFAS-containing firefighting foam use and the recognition of fire training areas as high-priority PFAS source areas nationwide.

PFAS-containing firefighting foam sits in a storage area at the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department in St. Mary’s County, MD. (Photo Courtesy of Joseph Guyther)  Maryland Matters

Maryland also has hundreds of municipal and volunteer fire stations. Most are believed to have historically stored and used Class B aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for vehicle fires, fuel spills, aircraft incidents, and training. While most are not "training academies," they may represent a much larger number of potential PFAS source areas than the academies themselves.

Firetrucks were commonly equipped with AFFF storage tanks, proportioning systems, hoses, and foam nozzles that required routine operational testing. These activities often involved discharging foam onto designated testing pads, training grounds, gravel lots, or other outdoor areas. In addition to emergency responses and firefighter training exercises, decades of routine nozzle testing, system flushing, and accidental releases likely resulted in repeated PFAS discharges at fire stations throughout Maryland. These testing locations have never been investigated and may be heavily contaminated, particularly where runoff flowed into storm drains, ditches, streams, ponds, or groundwater recharge areas.

Airports and Military Bases

The MDE ought to be investigating all major airport and military firefighting training areas.

The Department of Defense has already identified numerous Maryland installations where AFFF was used during emergencies, testing, or routine training.

Here’s a list of military sites that the DOD has identified as having used AFFF during emergencies and routine practice.

Army

Aberdeen Proving Ground
Adelphi Laboratory Center
Fort Detrick
Fort Detrick - Forest Glen
Fort Meade – BRAC
Fort Meade – Active
Fort Meade – Phoenix
Phillips Army Airfield
Weide AASF

Navy

Annapolis Naval Academy
Annapolis Surface Weapons Center BRAC
NSWC Carderock – West Bethesda Campus
Bainbridge
Naval Research Laboratory Chesapeake Bay Detachment
Indian Head Naval Surface Weapons Center
Patuxent River Naval Air Station
Solomons Naval Recreation Center
Webster Field Annex – Patuxent River NAS

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
White Oak- NSWC Dahlgren DIV

Air Force 

Joint Base Andrews
National Guard Martin State

Maryland Airports       

Aside from the clearly documented use of AFFF during fire training at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore over the years, Maryland’s regional Airports have likely trained with the toxic foams.

‍Baltimore Washington International Airport participates in annual Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting recertification training. The foams used to douse this recent blaze likely cccontained fluorine-free foams, but decades of practice likely involved the deadly foams.  - IAFF Local 1742

‍Regional Airports that likely used the toxic foams

Martin State Airport        ‍

Wicomico Regional Airport     

Hagerstown Regional Airport  

‍Greater Cumberland Regional Airport

‍Frederick Municipal Airport    

‍St. Mary's County Regional Airport   

‍Easton Airport

‍Cambridge–Dorchester Regional Airport     

‍Carroll County Regional Airport       

‍Garrett County Airport   

‍Montgomery County Airpark   

‍Ocean City Municipal Airport  

‍Bay Bridge Airport        

‍Crisfield–Somerset County Airport    

‍Tipton Airport‍‍ ‍

MDE’s botched “take-back” program

The MDE also dropped the ball in implementing the PFAS “take-back” program that the General Assembly had ordered and funded in 2022. Maryland banned PFAS-containing firefighting foam in 2022 and directed MDE to establish a  program to collect and dispose of legacy AFFF.

The department received $500,000, a tiny amount in state funding, to carry out that mandate, yet by May 2026—roughly four years after passage of the law—fire departments across Maryland were still storing drums and containers of banned foam in closets, storage rooms, and apparatus bays while awaiting state action.

MDE's delay in implementing the state's AFFF take-back program created more than a bureaucratic problem. For years after Maryland banned PFAS-containing firefighting foam, thousands of gallons of the material remained stored at firehouses throughout the state. These stockpiles were often kept in plastic containers, storage rooms, apparatus bays, and outdoor locations vulnerable to weather, flooding, punctures, equipment failures, and accidental releases. The continued storage of large quantities of AFFF at hundreds of fire stations increases the likelihood of additional PFAS contamination events long after the state had recognized the hazards posed by the foam. Rather than promptly removing and securely disposing of the material, Maryland allowed it to remain scattered across local communities while the state struggled to establish the take-back program required by law.

The state’s unwillingness to dispose of legacy PFAS-containing firefighting foam raises questions not only about environmental risk but also about cost. Maine's Department of Environmental Protection recently estimated that approximately 50,000 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) remain available for collection across that state. Using a planning estimate of roughly $100 per gallon—derived from New Hampshire's statewide program, Maine projected that collection and disposal alone could cost at least $5 million. In the meantime, MDE recommends facilities “properly” store PFAS-containing Class-B foams, while regularly monitoring for storage system leaks and maintenance needs is necessary.

Maryland faces an even larger challenge. The state has a much larger population than Maine and contains hundreds of potential AFFF-use locations. If Maryland's legacy AFFF inventory is comparable to or greater than Maine's estimated 50,000 gallons, disposal costs could easily reach $5 million to $10 million or more.

‍The estimate does not include the costs of environmental investigation, “remediation”, or long-term monitoring at contaminated sites. These costs could reach several billion dollars at a hundred sites. “Cleanup” would require decades of groundwater extraction, multiple pump-and-treat systems, treatment plants using granular activated carbon or ion exchange, excavation and disposal of contaminated soils, installation of extensive monitoring well networks, repeated sampling of groundwater, surface water, fish and wildlife, replacement of contaminated drinking water supplies, engineering investigations, CERCLA oversight, and decades of long-term operation and maintenance.

‍Scientists cannot agree on what PFAS cleanup ultimately looks like. EPA acknowledges significant uncertainties surrounding the destruction of PFAS through high-temperature incineration, while landfilling merely transfers the chemicals to another location where contaminated leachate must be managed for decades. In many cases, "cleanup" means moving PFAS rather than eliminating it.

Who Bears the Burden?

‍This reality raises a difficult ethical question. When Maine shipped thousands of gallons of legacy firefighting foam to the hazardous waste facility in Emelle, Alabama, it reduced one state's environmental burden by transferring it to another community. Emelle is a predominantly Black community that has long hosted one of the nation's largest hazardous waste landfills. As states confront growing stockpiles of PFAS waste, policymakers must decide not only how to manage these chemicals, but also who will bear the environmental risks associated with their disposal.

‍WSSC prompted MDE to get to work

‍The testing process at Muddy Branch wasn’t initiated by MDE. Testing occurred only after the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) requested additional PFAS investigation in the Muddy Branch watershed. Following WSSC's request, the MDE conducted more extensive sampling of streams and stormwater ponds in the area. MDE's investigation subsequently identified elevated concentrations of PFAS in surface waters near the former Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy.

If there is a hero in this story, it is WSSC. Private citizens have tested tap water throughout Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties and found levels of PFAS well under federal guidelines. While WSSC limits drinking water to levels under 4 parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA, the MDE allows Smallmouth Bass with 574,000 parts per trillion of PFOS to be consumed in the Potomac north on Montgomery County and Largemouth Bass south Montgomery County with 94,200 ppt of PFOS to be consumed by the unsuspecting public. ‍ ‍

The Media Missed the Larger Story

Maryland's major news organizations have not treated PFAS contamination from fire training areas as the statewide story it plainly is. The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun have failed to investigate the broader pattern of PFAS contamination from fire training academies, county training centers, municipal fire stations, airports, and military installations across Maryland.

‍ Local television and radio outlets reported the initial Muddy Branch advisory, but the story stopped there. Initial reports focused public attention on the county's announcement that PFAS had been detected at about 1,600 parts per trillion near the former Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy. But the fuller MDE data later showed a much broader chemical picture, including 4,465 ppt total PFAS at MB8 near the stormwater pond. That follow-up story—the one that changed the public's understanding of the scale and complexity of the contamination—was ignored.

Maryland's news media have reported on PFAS legislation, fish advisories, military cleanup efforts, and the state's delayed foam take-back program. What has been largely absent is sustained investigative reporting into the contamination of Maryland's fire training facilities themselves—the places where PFAS-containing firefighting foams were routinely discharged for decades.

‍The result is a distorted public record. Residents were told there was PFAS in Muddy Branch, but it was never explained that Muddy Branch is part of a much larger statewide pattern tied to decades of firefighting foam use. When major news organizations fail to explain that pattern, public agencies face less pressure, elected officials face fewer questions, and residents are left with the impression that this is an isolated event rather than a predictable consequence of Maryland's long failure to investigate fire training sites.

‍The failure of the press to follow the evidence allows public misunderstanding to flourish.

‍Still, Muddy Branch will ultimately prove to be the first clear demonstration of a much larger statewide problem.‍ ‍

Data now shows PFAS nearly 3 times the levels reported by local media

By Pat Elder
June 24, 2026

The Maryland Department of the Environment, (MDE) just released data for 18 separate PFAS compounds from Muddy Branch in Rockville, Maryland.

The newly released results from sampling location “Muddy Branch 8” near the stormwater pond show a total PFAS concentration of 4,465ppt. PFOS accounted for just over one-third of the PFAS detected at MB8, while the remaining 2,865 ppt consists of other PFAS compounds were not initially reported.

The findings suggest that a complex mixture of PFAS continues to migrate from the former training facility into surrounding surface waters.

The MDE did not detect 22 compounds and that is to be expected. They used an EPA method that returns results for 40 separate compounds. Prior results published by Montgomery County showed data for only three PFAS compounds.

The new data from MDE came in two separate PDFs. See Muddy Branch Sampling Results and Second Phase Muddy Branch Sampling Results.

4,445 parts per trillion (ppt) total PFAS was reported at MB8, near the source of the contamination, with 61.1 total ppt draining into the Potomac River at MB 1. 

PFAS contamination is highly complex because individual compounds behave differently in the environment. Some readily bind to vegetation, sediments, or organic matter, while others remain in water and migrate extremely long distances. Certain PFAS accumulate in aquatic invertebrates, while others are more readily transferred into fish and other wildlife. Some compounds concentrate near the bottom of streams and ponds, while others remain distributed throughout the water column. PFHxS, for example, is highly mobile and can travel considerable distances in groundwater and surface water, whereas other compounds exhibit a stronger tendency to sorb to soils and sediments. Understanding these differences is essential for predicting how contamination moves through ecosystems and ultimately reaches fish, wildlife, and people.

Scroll up to the map to make sense of this.

MB1 is located on Muddy Branch by the Potomac River. The concentrations are worrisome because the compounds bioaccumulate in fish. The EPA estimates that PFOS alone can bioaccumulate up to 4,000 in the filet of fish compared to the levels in the water. Smallmouth Bass have been detected with 574,000 ppt  of PFOS where Antietam Creek empties into the river. The MDE has reported PFOS concentrations of 94,200 ppt in Largemouth Bass. At the same time, Maryland regulates PFOS in drinking water at 4 ppt.

Sites MB2, MB3, MB5, MB6, MB 7 are located on Muddy Branch.  The contamination at these sites ranged from 62 ppt to 81 ppt.

Site MB4 is located on a small stream. Notice its heightened concentration of 251 ppt of PFAS compared to the other sites directly on the creek. This may be evidence of the “carcinogenic sponge” that perpetually squeezes out PFAS into surface water from groundwater plumes. Isn’t it interesting?

Site MB4_2 is also located on a small stream, and its concentration is elevated compared to nearby concentrations in the creek.

Site MB9, with its massive concentrations, is also located on a small stream.

Site MB8 is located by the stormwater pond, a kind of grand central station. During storms, rain infiltrates contaminated soils. PFAS dissolved in pore water are flushed into drainage channels and the pond.       

MB10 is located on a small stream north of Great Seneca Highway and recorded the lowest PFAS concentrations among all samples. The location may lie outside the principal PFAS migration pathway from the former fire-training area. It’s a guessing game without substantially more testing. MB10 may be influenced by cleaner upstream flows and may receive less PFAS-laden pore water, stormwater runoff, and groundwater discharge from the source area.

The chemical fingerprint in Muddy Branch is strongly consistent with historical AFFF contamination. PFOS (1,600 ppt) and PFHxS (1,240 ppt) together account for approximately 64 percent of the total PFAS detected at Site MB8.  The prominence of PFHxS is especially important because the compound is highly persistent, highly mobile in water, and often travels farther from contamination sources than PFOS. We can see this clearly in the Muddy Branch data. Although PFOS topped PFHxS at the source, PFHxS is the dominant compound at MB1 where the contaminants enter the Potomac.

The dominance of PFOS and PFHxS is also characteristic of legacy 3M firefighting foams manufactured using electrochemical fluorination technology, formulations that were widely used for firefighting training and emergency response throughout Maryland for decades. In addition to PFOS and PFHxS, the sample contained elevated concentrations of PFOA, PFNA, PFHxA, PFPeA, and other terminal PFAS that are unlikely to break down further in the environment. Taken together, the results indicate that Muddy Branch is receiving not a single contaminant, but a substantial and highly persistent mixture of PFAS compounds consistent with long-term use of 3M-style AFFF at the former training academy.

Equally noteworthy is what was not found. The laboratory did not detect GenX, ADONA, or other compounds typically associated with fluoropolymer manufacturing and modern industrial chemical production.  Instead, the chemical profile is overwhelmingly consistent with contamination originating from historical aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).

The newly released laboratory data provide one of the clearest indications yet of the extent and composition of PFAS contamination in Muddy Branch. Most importantly, the results demonstrate why comprehensive PFAS testing matters. Had public discussion remained focused solely on “PFAS at 1,600 ppt,” the majority of the contamination burden would have remained obscured. The difference between 1,600 ppt and 4,465 ppt is not a minor technical detail. It fundamentally changes the public's understanding of the magnitude, complexity, and persistence of PFAS contamination in the Muddy Branch watershed.

Maryland county allows dense development over fire training area

By Pat Elder
June 16, 2026

This map shows PFAS contamination in surface waters downstream of the former Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy in Rockville, Maryland, where firefighting foams containing PFAS were historically used during training exercises. The striped corridor marks the Maryland water-contact advisory area along Muddy Branch Creek, while sampling locations MB8 and MB9 document contamination extending through a residential watershed near the former training grounds.

NBC4 Washington recently reported that PFAS contamination has been discovered in a creek and pond system near the former Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy in Rockville. The report included a map showing contaminated surface waters, sampling locations, and a water-contact advisory area. The contamination has been traced to historical firefighting activities at the former academy, where firefighting foams containing PFAS were used during training exercises for decades.

Maryland maintains a statewide firefighter training network through the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI), which operates six regional training centers serving every part of the state. In addition to these state-supported facilities, many counties operate their own fire academies and public safety training centers, including facilities in Montgomery, Carroll, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Prince George's, and Washington counties. These facilities have trained generations of firefighters and emergency responders, often using live-fire exercises and, historically, firefighting foams containing PFAS.

Dozens of firefighter training grounds, burn pits, foam-training areas, airport fire-training facilities, and military fire-training sites have operated throughout Maryland over the last fifty years. These facilities routinely discharged aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), the same PFAS-laden foam responsible for widespread contamination at military bases throughout the state.

Military Poisons has documented PFAS contamination at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Joint Base Andrews, Fort Meade, Fort Detrick, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Webster Field, the Naval Research Laboratory Chesapeake Bay Detachment, Forest Glen Annex, and several former military facilities throughout Maryland. At the same time, the organization has repeatedly warned that firefighter training academies, airports, and other non-military facilities have also created contamination patterns similar to those found on military bases.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has been reluctant to investigate, publicize, regulate, or clean up any of this. Maryland is behind many states in this regard.

Mongomery County planning documents provide disturbing details.

The former Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy property consisted of approximately 44.84 acres at 9710 Great Seneca Highway in Rockville, Montgomery County, approved the disposition of essentially the entire site for private redevelopment as "The Elms at PSTA," (Public Safety Training Academy) a project containing roughly 630 residential units plus retail and open space. The academy closed in 2016, and the county subsequently sold or agreed to sell the property to the developer.

Montgomery County still owns land immediately adjacent to the former academy. Planning documents identify a 6.25-acre county-owned parcel south of the redevelopment site, currently occupied by the County Innovation Incubator and the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. The county also retained and received additional land associated with a potential future school site (Parcel V), which planning documents describe as approximately 6.5 acres.

‍Hundreds of homes are being built on property that served as Montgomery County's primary police and firefighter training facility for roughly forty years. The question that now demands an answer is whether Montgomery County or MDE investigated the property for PFAS contamination associated with historical firefighting activities before approving the redevelopment.

Given the well-established association between firefighter training facilities and PFAS contamination, it is difficult to understand how a comprehensive PFAS investigation was not publicly discussed before the site was approved for redevelopment. Firefighter training centers have been recognized nationwide as major PFAS source areas for years.

The planning documents note that a stream and approximately 3.35 acres of stream buffer run through the eastern portion of the former academy property and drain toward Muddy Branch.

The Maryland Department of the Environment recommends that all private well owners, regardless of location, have their well water tested at least once a year to ensure that their water is safe to drink and to include PFAS in that testing. The agency ought to be identifying well owners much further away and it ought to be providing these services. They dropped the ball.

‍It is important that the public be provided with the analytical results for each PFAS compound detected in the creek, pond, groundwater, and air. This is precisely the type of information the Maryland Department of the Environment has been hesitant to release at other severely contaminated PFAS sites around the state.

Although most PFAS compounds are not volatile, several compounds, especially PFOS, which is likely to dominate the chemical signature here, can attach to soil particles and become airborne. The carcinogens saturate the banks of the creek. When the water recedes, the toxins dry in the sun and are lifted by the wind into our lungs and into our homes as dust. The dust is a major PFAS pathway to small children. People living nearby should have their houses tested and they should change their air conditioner filters regularly. Sweeping and vacuuming ought to be traded for wet-mopping.

Since 2019, I have been writing about Maryland’s PFAS contamination associated with firefighter training activities. In 2021, when elevated PFAS levels were discovered in drinking water wells serving Westminster and Hampstead, I publicly questioned whether the Carroll County Public Fire Training Center was contributing to the contamination. At the time, I argued that Maryland should move beyond testing drinking water wells and begin identifying actual contamination sources through groundwater and surface-water investigations. My concern was that firefighter training facilities had used PFAS-containing foams for decades and were being overlooked as potential contributors to contamination. I sent all of my work to the Maryland Department of the Environment. They know the score.‍

The analytical data collected from Muddy Branch are essential for a host of reasons, but mostly because PFAS compounds can accumulate in fish. The EPA has reported that PFOS may bioaccumulate in fish up to 4,000 times the amount in the water. Streams and retention ponds near firefighter training facilities have been documented with PFOS concentrations in the hundreds and thousands of parts per trillion. Under such conditions, fish may contain PFAS concentrations in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of parts per trillion. One fish outside a fire training area in Michigan had 10 million parts per trillion in its filet.

‍The county health department must strive to identify those who have consumed fish from these waters. The county should also offer blood testing to individuals who may have been exposed to PFAS through consumption of the fish. The state will not do it.‍ ‍

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has established guidance for PFAS blood levels and recommends clinical follow-up for individuals with more than 2 parts per billion of seven different PFAS compounds. Residents should not be forced to pay out of pocket to determine whether they have been exposed to chemicals released from a government-operated facility. But, government agencies may balk at the idea, so If people living in these nice new homes ought to know a PFAS skin prick test is available for $279 from Empower DX.‍ ‍

We must demand complete transparency. The state and the county should release the full analytical results for every PFAS compound detected at each sampling location, including surface water, groundwater, sediment, fish tissue, and any other environmental samples collected during the investigation. The public cannot adequately assess the risks posed by this contamination without access to the underlying data.

The contamination discovered near the former Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy is not an isolated incident. It is the predictable consequence of decades of PFAS use at firefighter training facilities throughout Maryland. The question is no longer whether these facilities contaminated groundwater, streams, ponds, fish, and nearby communities. The question is how many sites remain uninvestigated, how many people have been exposed, and why state regulators failed to act sooner despite years of warnings.‍‍ ‍

——————————

I’ve written 80 articles on PFAS contamination emanating from fire training areas in Maryland. Here are two:

Bad News for Westminster (MD) and the Surrounding Region – February 2, 2021

Here, I identified the Carroll County Public Fire Training Center as a potential PFAS source and asked, "Where's the PFAS coming from in Westminster?"

https://patelder.weebly.com/westminster-md--pfas.html?utm_source=

——————————————————

Small Naval Facility in Southern Maryland Causes Massive PFAS Contamination - April 15, 2021

This article connected extremely high PFAS concentrations to a naval fire station and historical firefighting foam use.

https://www.militarypoisons.org/latest-news/small-naval-facility-in-southern-maryland-causes-massive-pfas-contamination?utm_source=‍ ‍