ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Filthy Fifty Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Senator Stabenow (D-Mich.) and senators from across the Great Lakes region, will help accelerate clean up and remediation of PFAS chemicals at all U.S. military installations. The bill puts strict clean up timelines in place and prioritizes 50 military sites for clean-up that have high levels of PFAS contamination.

The following quote may be attributed to Jennifer Hill, Associate Director, Great Lakes Regional Center for National Wildlife Federation:

“National Wildlife Federation applauds the introduction of the Filthy Fifty Act by Senator Gillibrand, Senator Stabenow and their colleagues. The Department of Defense needs to be part of the solution to the PFAS crisis – and this legislation goes a long way in making that happen.

“In Michigan, the provisions in the bill will immediately benefit the community of Oscoda, Mich., where the PFAS clean-up process at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base has dragged on for over a decade and where the Air Force will not commit to upholding Michigan’s recently enacted clean-up standards for PFAS.

“Timebound clean up processes and accountability to state laws must make up the basis for how the Department of Defense approaches PFAS contamination in this country – with 700 sites across the country, a piecemeal approach will not get the job done.”