Bill > S3446

This bill requires the Secretary of Defense to develop and submit a strategy to speed up the Department of Defense's (DoD) efforts to address the release of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from its activities. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals found in many products, and they can persist in the environment and in the human body. The strategy, which must be submitted to Congress within 180 days of the bill's enactment, needs to align with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a law designed to clean up hazardous waste sites. Key components of this strategy include establishing criteria for prioritizing cleanup actions at military bases and National Guard facilities based on risks to health and the environment, setting timelines for each stage of the cleanup process under CERCLA, outlining plans to deploy more resources like technologies and personnel to accelerate remediation, and identifying the number of accredited laboratories capable of testing for PFAS. Additionally, the bill mandates that within one year of enactment, the Secretary of Defense must create a public online dashboard, updated twice a year, detailing the DoD's actions on PFAS releases, including funding spent, the status of cleanup efforts at each site, projected and actual completion timelines, and contact information for community engagement.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3446/all-info