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Whitmer sends letter to Pentagon on PFAS advisories

US Geological Survey

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has joined the New Mexico Governor Michelle Grisham to send a letter to the Department of Defense.

The letter addresses new EPA health advisories, which say PFAS are more dangerous than once thought. The letter urges the Department of Defense- one of the largest polluters of PFAS - to incorporate the advisories into decision-making.

Tony Spaniola is with the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. He said the letter helps put more pressure on the Department of Defense to take more accountability for contamination.

“We have the governors of two states, saying, ‘yes, this is important. Yes, this is urgent. Yes, Department of Defense, take action,” he said.

Spaniola said he hopes growing concerns will spur the DOD to protect the health of service members and communities living near military bases.

This is not the first letter sent by Whitmer to DOD officials.Last year, she wroteto ask the DOD to follow Michigan's PFAS standards on military bases, specifically in regards to the former Wurtsmith Airforce Base in Oscoda.

Teresa Homsi is an environmental reporter and Report for America Corps Member based in northern Michigan for WCMU. She covers rural environmental issues, focused on contamination, conservation, and climate change.