Navy to Respond to Community Concerns Regarding Massive PFAS Contamination in Chesapeake Beach, MD

A Navy firefighter practices dousing flames using PFAS-laden foam at the Naval Research Laboratory - Chesapeake Bay Detachment

Online presentation to the public set for May 18, 5:00-7:00 pm.

Rather than 30 questions, I have just one question for the Navy. How many other naval facilities worldwide have higher levels of the toxins in the ground than here in Chesapeake Beach?

May 15, 2021

The Command of the Naval Research Lab - Chesapeake Bay Detachment (NRL-CBD) and the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) will be hosting a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting online this Tuesday, May 18, 5:00-7:00 pm. The RAB is being held to respond to citizen concerns regarding the high levels of PFAS contamination in the soil, groundwater, and streams the Navy reported two weeks ago.  Here’s how to join the RAB meeting

On April 28, NAVFAC released data showing the soil at the fire training area in Chesapeake Beach contained 8 million parts per trillion of the deadliest two varieties of PFAS. Click on RAB briefing slides and see slide 35 of 47.  (The soil contains 7,950 NG/G or Nanograms per gram of PFOS.  NG/G = 1 part per billion, so the site contains 7,950,000 parts per trillion of deadly PFOS alone.  

PFAS is short for per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances, which are used in firefighting training at the Naval Research Laboratory - Chesapeake Beach Detachment.

The PFAS levels are among the highest reported anywhere in the world.  It’s not surprising because the toxic foams have been recklessly dumped here since 1968, longer than anywhere on earth. Surface waters draining into the Chesapeake Bay have astonishing concentrations of the forever chemicals.

See the 30 Questions I prepared for the public leading up to the April 28, 2021 Restoration Advisory Board of the Patuxent River NAS in Lexington Park, Maryland. The questions were intended for representatives of the Navy, the  EPA, and the Maryland Departments of the Environment and Health during that online dog and pony show.

None of the questions were directly answered while officials provided the public misleading information. regarding the health impacts caused by the use of PFAS at the Pax River NAS and Webster Outlying Field. Rather than rehashing the 30 unanswered questions, I have one question for the Navy brass this time:  How many other Naval facilities worldwide have higher levels of the toxins in the ground than here in Chesapeake Beach?

The regional media is not covering this story while most people have never heard of PFAS and almost no one is aware of the military’s role in poisoning us with these chemicals they continue to use at Chesapeake Beach.

Taking it to the Streets

Over the weekend five us headed to the town to canvass the community. We distributed  this flyer to folks with wells who live in the town adjacent to the base. Most were unaware of anything.  Apparently, the Town of Chesapeake Beach heard we were coming and promptly warned the community to be suspicious. See this notice on the town’s website.

May 15, 2021 (Chesapeake Beach, Maryland) - The Town of Chesapeake Beach is aware of a private interest group planning to circulate information to citizens by flyer at public locations in Town related to the Chesapeake Bay Detachment (NRL-CBD) location. The Town is engaged with the Navy in discussions of environmental restoration at the NRL-CBD site located south of the Town limits and will disseminate all accurate information to Town citizens.

The town says it will “disseminate all accurate information to town citizens.” That means the public should not pay attention to the stuff in the flyer about how these chemicals are linked to a host of cancers, childhood diseases, and fetal abnormalities. The public should not be reading about how the seafood could be contaminated or that they could be drinking high levels of these chemicals. The public shouldn’t know. The town knows better. The Navy knows better.

Is that it?

The entire episode illustrates how the DOD shapes environmental policy in Maryland, Japan, and Germany

The town of Chesapeake Beach is discouraging the exercise of free speech regarding the presence of PFAS contamination in the town’s soil, groundwater, and surface water while the media refuses to cover this health crisis.  Writers and editors at 40 regional press outlets, including So MD News, WaPo, Capitol Gazette, etc. have ignored this issue for years and they still do.

Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not drink water or eat seafood that contains high concentrations of PFAS.

Please, attend the online session and ask some questions!