Persistent chemicals: Navy efforts to address PFAS at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam : Q&A report to congressional requesters /

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of heat and stain resistant chemicals that can persist in the environment--including in water, soil, and air--for decades or longer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to certain PFAS may have adverse effects...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author:	United States. Government Accountability Office (Author)
Format:	Government Document eBook
Language:	English
Published:	Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2024.
Subjects:	Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (Hawaii) > Environmental aspects. Perfluorinated chemicals > Health aspects > United States. Perfluorinated chemicals > Government policy > United States. Hazardous waste site remediation > United States. United States. > Navy > Facilities > Management.
Online Access:	https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo230732

Description
Summary:	Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of heat and stain resistant chemicals that can persist in the environment--including in water, soil, and air--for decades or longer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to certain PFAS may have adverse effects on human health, including effects on fetal development, the immune system, and the thyroid, and may cause liver damage and cancer. During November 2022 maintenance activities at Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam in Hawaii, 1,300 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) concentrate was released from a pipe in a tunnel at the installation's Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. Some of the concentrate migrated out of the tunnel and into the environment. Because AFFF--a product used to fight flammable liquid fires--contains PFAS, this incident raised concerns about how the Navy would remediate PFAS contamination at the installation. This report describes DOD processes for the ongoing monitoring and long-term cleanup of PFAS at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam; DOD's response to the November 2022 AFFF release at the installation; and DOD and EPA policies addressing PFAS in the environment.
Item Description:	"April 15, 2024." "GAO-24-106812." In scope of the U.S. Government Publishing Office Catalog and Indexing Program (C&I) and Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). GPO Cataloging Record Distribution Program (CRDP).
Physical Description:	1 online resource (13 pages) : color illustrations, color map
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 11-13).