WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced the Toxic Exposures in the American Military (TEAM) Coalition, a non-partisan consortium of veterans and military service organizations and experts, formally endorsed his Clean Water for Military Families Act. The legislation directs the Defense Department to identify and clean up toxic chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), at U.S. military installations with some of the highest detections across the country.

“The TEAM Coalition knows firsthand the devastating effects these toxic forever chemicals have on our military members, veterans, and their families,” said Senator Padilla. “I’m grateful for their support to pass this critical legislation to clean up PFAS on military installations and protect our military communities. Our military families make tremendous sacrifices in service to our country and they deserve urgent action to guarantee they can drink clean water and live pollution free.”

“Our coalition, which is comprised of a non-partisan group of veterans service organizations and subject matter experts, express our full support for S. 1970, the Clean Water for Military Families Act. We want to thank Senator Padilla for his efforts to accelerate the remediation of PFAS contamination at DoD installations and urge Congress to pass this time sensitive legislation without delay,” said the Toxic Exposures in the American Military (TEAM) Coalition. 

The TEAM coalition supporting this legislation includes: 

American Veterans (AMVETS)

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

Environmental Working Group (EWG)

Fleet Reserve Association (FRA)

Gold Star Wives of America, Inc. (GSW)

HunterSeven Foundation

Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH)

Military Veterans Advocacy, Inc. (MVN)

National Association of County Veteran Service Officers (NACVSO) National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP)

Non-Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA)

Reserve Organization of America (ROA)

The Independence Fund (TIF)

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)

TREA: The Enlisted Association

United Soldiers and Sailors of America

Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness

Veterans Warriors

VetsFirst, United Spinal Association

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)

Earlier this month, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the costs of cleaning up PFAS from Defense Department (DOD) installations will “increase significantly” beyond the amount DOD has already estimated. The GAO also found that no installations had fully completed the investigation phase and moved to the cleanup phase of the environmental restoration process, which confirms the urgent need for Padilla’s bill to accelerate PFAS clean-up on and around military sites.

During a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to examine the issue of PFAS contamination in communities across the country, witnesses praised Padilla’s effort to mitigate the serious issue of PFAS chemicals at U.S. military installations and in the nearby communities. Padilla remains committed to ensuring clean drinking water and a pollution free environment for our nation’s military families. 

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