Inside Pentagon's effort to clean up 'forever chemicals'

ABC News' Devin Dwyer has an exclusive look at what the Pentagon is doing to combat PFAS and what's at stake in the Michigan community considered ground zero for the potentially toxic problem.
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[@PokèWorld307]

Just remember in most "forever chemical" instances the government initially approved the actions of most of these companies. Several years ago officials approved of the dumping of oilfield wastewater into Boysen reservoir. Who would have thought that decision would have tainted many miles of the drainage used to dump the oilfield waste water into Boysen reservoir.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Yup. The wealthy and powerful only defer to paying FINES, too. And why? Simple. Cheaper than doing it right or ethically. Big bidnezz eez juz big bidnezz. It's the small businesses and individuals who will suffer in the long run. Ironic as that may seem to everyone.

[@TopHatNinja68]

I saw another news clip with only 5 k views of fertilizer companies that contains the chemical that now contaminated people's farmland

[@ryanmalone2681]

We’ve completely ruined our beautiful country.

[@MrLoobu]

That's true. A whole continent in less than 10 generations

[@RoboArc]

We... ? You mean the US war machine ? Yes... but we no 😂

[@ryanmalone2681]

@@RoboArc You think the military is 100% to blame? Come on man. Wake up. Lobbying, money in politics, voting in people who have no environmental protection policies, look at the behavior of Americans at national parks, and on and on and on and you should quickly realize how wrong you are. In fact, you making this comment is a perfect example of why it’s “we” who’ve ruined this beautiful country. Ignorance.

[@davidcantor293]

Correction, an entire world.

[@ryanmalone2681]

@@davidcantor293 True

[@Mrdresden]

PFAS is not just linked to firefighting foam used in military bases! It has been used in various coatings from rainproof cloathing, stickless pans (Teflon) and more for decades. DuPont and other chemical manufacturers have known about their toxic properties for decades and released massive amounts of these chemicals out into the environment.

[@miles5600]

PFAS is also used in firefighting foam, the companies are just going to other PFAS chemicals.

[@samward7633]

@@miles5600 Don't forget, it's also in most turnout gear, helmets, and hoses. The stuff is awful, and IAFF/other unions have been trying to get rid of it for a long while now.

[@kirielkid]

My dad worked for DuPont in the 70s and 80s. From the stories I've heard that's an extremely evil and selfish company. Lots of illegal dumping

[@EZ-E402]

Gonna cost us $1.2T to clean up a $200B mess.

[@cameronf3343]

Exactly. Letting these things slide is expensive, which is exactly why we need to stop letting them slide.

[@Lifeis2stressful]

It’s got electrolytes

[@cupwalker24.7]

I get paid a very small amount to go Drill all week in Pfass if this is such a huge problem .

[@singlepringle6241]

The government needs to be regularly audited🗣️🗣️

[@keysotin2433]

@@cupwalker24.7 Hey let me know when you get diagnosed with any pfas induced liver diseases.

[@jennifertarin4707]

They aren't "potentially toxic," they ARE toxic and thats a proven facr

[@Cleanup2007]

I want to do great things for society but I personally am too small. And so is this poison, it is too big and goes deep into everyone's lives.

[@dnlitsuh]

Seriously!!! There’s no reason to act like it’s uncertain

[@imeakdo7]

It's a psychological trick to make sure people don't brush it off as benign a few weeks down the road

[@grunky0]

!? Why wasn't this done like 30 years ago?

[@delta_glider4362]

🤭 Ask what they did with Manhattan project radioactive waste 😂

[@RealMTBAddict]

Because they didn't know the risks. Like lead paint.

[@jennifertarin4707]

Money

[@jennifertarin4707]

​@RealMTBAddict but they DID know the risks. DuPont put out memos about Teflon, pulled women from the line and did other things. They all knew the risks but did nothing to mitigate it

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

@@jennifertarin4707 Yup. Munneh eez munneh. Fines are easier to pay, and sweeping things under the rug is FAR cheaper than restructuring business practices which are already lucrative into procedures that would cut into corporate cronyism and enormous payouts!

[@TopHatNinja68]

These chemicals are also used in some farm fertilizers which I think should be the bigger issue no.

[@GFettJake]

I’m taking a class in college right now and we talk about Environmental Law Policies. It’s very interesting. So to see this video, is concerning. We need to protect our drinking waters and other waters. Our planet is our home and we share it with tons of amazing species of plants and animals. Let’s keep it clean for future generations.

[@jennifertarin4707]

Watch these movies: Dark Waters, Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action. Also read about Love Canal in NY. There are many videos here about pfas/pfos and other forever chemicals both here in the states ans abroad.

[@Paislywalls4767]

Too Late! Most "we" can do is Stop being Stupid/ letting a few get rich off poisoning the Earth for humans.

[@Kassiant]

We’re about 70 years too late on that, practically dumped/buried all of WW2 beneath us

[@RobertJohnson-hp4gz]

Thanks older generation for realizing plastic was bad and continuing to use it in nearly everything we own instead of using the multitude of alternatives!

[@TTOS69]

You keep saying "military air base fire fighters" are the cause... What about Dupont of similar companies who actually developed these chemicals and currently dump them everywhere around the country illegally.

[@AnitaMartini7]

It's too late. It's inside all of us already. I live in Michigan, where the DuPont factory was, and there's Teflon forever chemicals everywhere. Humanity has screwed up this gorgeous planet. So that we could have non-stick pans, stain guard, fire fighting foam, and plastic. Gross. We're gross.

[@jennifertarin4707]

And so driven by greed that we can't see the forest through the trees

[@Cleanup2007]

Let's protect the environment around us. Each person doing a small thing will inspire everyone in the world

[@illuminativon6542]

@@Cleanup2007sounds like a fairytale honestly

[@SD-vy7gj]

Na. Tyrants and obedient complisit slaves Humans don't do stuff like this. Only the sub species does

[@dodjo_cat]

​@@Cleanup2007 The Problem lies in the system that rewards these kinds of actions. I agree that we all have to work together to change the system though

[@saucerchrome]

There are allready some places here in the US where they have water delivered by trucks because THERE IS NO SOLUTION! There hasnt been an answer for YEARS. The new limit wont do anything but give a water treatment plant a legal reason to shut down by law.

[@06howea1]

Well done for reporting it

[@davemathews7890]

How do you clean up chemicals that are supposed to last forever?

[@AnimeShinigami13]

They're only called forever chemicals because NATURE can't break them down. Humans have been destroying things for as long as we've been human. I imagine we'd destroy PFAS the same way. We know how to watch mother nature do a thing, and then do it in a more potent and concentrated way. Did you know for example that there are caterpillars and fungi that consume plastic? A scientist studying bees found the former by accident, she was studying them since they're a bee pest and she collected a bunch of them in a produce bag. She put it down to tend another hive and came back to find it completely gone on a still day. So she caught more larvae and trained a camera on the bag, lo and behold she caught them EATING the bag and crawling away! The key to PFAS endurance is the sturdiness of their molecular bonds. Figure out how to break those and bind it to something else and you have a cleaning agent to get rid of them. If they've completed this I don't know. Just that that's what one would need to achieve, break or bind another substance to the PFAS molecules.

[@AmericanTeacher-USA]

Exactly. You can't.

[@MrLoobu]

You don't, but it's a great excuse to endlessly embezzle tax money. Plus, the more degenerate the DNA gets, the more the dummies might buy the government line.

[@RetroBerner]

You don't, just like recycling it's just a PR campaign.

[@DeathRainsz]

You filter and store the waste. And reintroduced the clean material back into the environment.

[@cameronf3343]

It’s useless until the government sets a 5 year timeline to completely eliminate all consumer plastics and only approve its use in large things that’re unlikely to end up in landfills, such as vehicle interiors.

[@Cleanup2007]

I agree with you.and we also limit their use and handle it well.thank you very much

[@atomic_bomba]

That's never gonna happen.

[@gluehd]

thank you

[@jackalninezeronine]

Now how dangerous really is F3.?

[@jewishmcloin1933]

who knows. F3 doesn’t actually seem like a specific solution but stands for “Flourine Free Foams”, could be 10x worse or as toxic as a crayon

[@Moon___man]

Cant use ground water where I am thanks to an old Motorola factory lol

[@farmbulls674]

unbelievable

[@trevorsmith470]

If I had ten dollars for every time a company profited off of doing horrible things to the environment with profound lifelong impacts to everyone nearby and then made tax dollars foot the bill for cleaning up later, I'd have enough money to form a corporation that does horrible things to the environment with profound lifelong health impacts to everyone nearby.

[@Burgerb0y17]

W comment

[@Gameboyreaper]

I would have much rather that extra money went to this problem than overseas just saying

[@uelld.8371]

Did they finally decided to take actions *'cough'* _measurements_ *'cough'* after that Prime drinks lab test found out that the processed water manufacturer contains forever chem pfs that exceeding the allowed level? 🤔

[@Mr.219]

I remember when Flint complained years ago about bad water nobody cared. Come to find out this stuff is across all America smh

[@coreywatkins111]

Wait till you figure out what's in every non-stick pan you've been cooking with the last 20 years....

[@sortasurvival5482]

The toxicity was known in 1987...

[@RikkiSan1]

Already know about teflon for a long time now

[@alex_n7916]

That didn't sound like a No to pfas. Can someone tell what he said? 4:55 Also, there will be no mention of what F3 is made out of. Obviously, there will be more problems in the future...

[@joey_maldonado]

This is late stage capitalism 😢

[@amandawalton8044]

Good political move, but it will continue to be an issue until we stop making things that use PFAS

[@CometoJesus2025]

We're dead

[@StaceyG-l6m]

Seems more Z& more like it don’t IT!?! I’m a military brat t too 🙏❤️✅✌️🥸🌍🤔🙃🫶😎🐎🦋

[@Cleanup2007]

yes :(

[@xChimkin]

thank God

[@sylvainh2o]

Cancer treatment should be free. It's 100% government's fault and the right to have a chance to live should be free always.

[@TNTkeynine]

Good. Reducing poisonings is a good idea.

[@Cleanup2007]

Let's protect the environment around us. Each person doing a small thing will inspire everyone in the world

[@JasonCoste-ux2vd]

What about our food!

[@heartwellroots5365]

They knew.

[@matthewthomas0330]

Electro-static charge to attract? Will a specific frequency of light break them apart? Laser?

[@AntoineWilliams7118]

We had the attack in Palestine where the train exploded and completely destroyed the whole city, we also have a place in New York or New Jersey, where the vape store exploded and destroyed the whole city we have oil spills and sewage leaks in Los Angeles all the mining towns and agricultural towns destroyed. Money is more important than the health the of the people.

[@HOSPEHLOSHEPH]

If it’s bubbling ITS PFAS !

[@codegeassfan4life28]

3 years to develop F3 foam/chemical when it usually takes 15 years. No way that variation of PFAS is suitable for the environment. Just another way to avoid public scrutiny and avoid it being detected in the water.

[@jennifertarin4707]

Right. If this only took 3 years to produce, how can they possibly know what the long term side effects are?

[@supergamergrill7734]

@@jennifertarin4707If I stab you in the stomac, How is it that it only takes you 1 seconds to figure out it’s bad instead of waiting and seeing? Obviously because the side effects show themselves almost immediately, your question is like asking why does smoking harm you. You’ve only smoked for 3 years.

[@FUERTEPERICO]

When we’re all dead then they will take things seriously smh 😢

[@FiringSquad81]

Baking soda. Add powder to the water. it will clean it up.

[@DonAldsDoOdyBerRiEs]

Lol after they screwed a ton of farmers over. Im sorry i just cant. 🤣

[@BmovinzFirstorlast]

Facts

[@supergamergrill7734]

Yes, now they’re cleaning up. That’s how progress is made. We made a lot of mistakes in the past

[@kevm7101]

They were having foam parties with that stuff!! Geez!!

[@mothwa]

⭐2:04 Never would I think we couldn't even eat the meat from this land. This is wild, considering trees and fruits would also be affected. Why not tell what else is affected, big brother?

[@williebateman3613]

USA 🇺🇸 👀

[@gardenlifelove9815]

Lmfao, dupont gets away with it again

[@badboydrd]

Just know that there is absolutely nothing that can be done, and were screwed for the foreseeable future no matter what they do or say.

[@chahahc]

Never underestimate the long term detoxification capacity of biological systems. The question is, are we wise enough to get out of the way?

[@SlavTiger]

Pfas dont really occur in nature and thus nothing breaks them down

[@dark12ain]

The new stuff is toxic too

[@justinsternhagen4698]

Get it out of the food.

[@DominicCunningham-n8m]

Sure thats what it is

[@joekev27]

Call me crazy but this seems like a great way to get people to stop hunting, fishing or foraging for their food and make the public rely solely on the food provided to us by corporate America. This all feel thought out and not like an accident.

[@supergamergrill7734]

GREAT IDEA! Now show the US government your boss by going to these communities… And drink the foam water.

[@MetalGalacticUnicorn]

lets go! this stuff makes drinking water taste out of this world

[@LUKE23Thirty4]

How did somebody even create these chemicals

[@The_Quaalude]

Probably with a chemistry set 👨🏼‍🔬🧪

[@CanVultus]

It’s actually pretty simple once you get the ingredients gathered. You just need a cauldron some three week old camel teeth, a black cats scent hormone, three sunflower roots grown in Ukrainian black soil, the fingernails of a recently buried mailman, holy water from a church collected at midnight on the sixth of June under a full moon, and some eye of newt. Bring it to a boil under a new moon on the first week of January. Once boiling let mixture sit over night until frozen. Thaw frozen mixture at the first sign of dawn and add a pinch of nightshade berry extract stir the extract in counterclockwise and abracadabra! now you have PFAS!

[@take3077]

Maybe start by banning all the known variants. The are just making more chemicals under other names.

[@Shining237]

I wonder how many billions this will cost the American tax payer?

[@supergamergrill7734]

So do you just want to let the chemicals stay in the water or what? That’s like saying “I wonder how much it will cost my parents to fix the gas leak” like the cost somehow trumps a gas leak in your house

[@erwinwills2289]

These are just local cases. Imagine other military bases around the world in foreign countries. Are those going to be cleaned up too?

[@Cleanup2007]

I also hope so. People's awareness in my country is still poor. They only care about themselves

[@Kylejeepadventures]

The kid isn’t worth $40m. Maybe $250k

[@yatusabe787]

"Trust our confidence " Good enough! 🥴 Could've explained more

[@Moon___man]

lol right wasnt very assuring, but shes a chemist not a PR person so I kinda get it.

[@yatusabe787]

@@Moon___man agreed, I just think she could've given scientific details even if most people wouldn't understand lol

[@JaCKal_0000]

we wont live forever as humans

[@Tegdriver97]

Anyone that belives in that new foam needs to drinks a gallon of it if u cant its not safe

[@romeou4965]

What if we took back overseas war funding and cleaned up our backyard ponds? 🤨

[@RoboArc]

Lol, let's clean it by spraying another chemical on it.

[@supergamergrill7734]

Another chemical that has bio contagents that can be broken down and ain’t forever. Wow, you’re so smart. Why aren’t you a chemist?

[@RoboArc]

@supergamergrill7734 because chemistry gets into the weeds of physics 😆 I like electronics and mechanical desgine. I've tried my hand with chemistry and it's a lot of bs 😄 I have a small lab atm for research for robotics. Took me years to aquire all this, couldn't imagine what it's like for chemists.

[@FCUKYOUTUBE-v7k]

the government is always the problem isn't it.

[@bigvaxmeanie925]

Private corporations creates this stuff

[@FCUKYOUTUBE-v7k]

@@bigvaxmeanie925 can't create these chemicals without government funding.

[@sc1338]

Forever chemicals are good

[@dromaticmx623]

Sue the military

[@jennifertarin4707]

They didn't make this product, they just use it. Good luck suing corporations like DuPont and not being buried in paperwork

[@dark12ain]

Too bad you can't sue the government they have your best interest at hands don't they 😂

[@ATF-Disapproved]

Big whoop from southeast Iowa 💀😂🤦🏻‍♂️

[@dajuiceman2769]

Good luck with help frm the government . All tje cash went over seas 🌊 😮😮😮

[@IamAnew]

Yup. Blank checks for Ukraine and Israel. None for the American people.

[@aarliann]

our planet has become a corporate dumping ground. keep everything out of shareholder backyards and it never happened.

[@romeou4965]

On 2024 earth day RKJR brought light to this first on a video while being at this lake. Only he has a vision for solving this crisis

[@HectorEduardo-rj3cp]

Injunction

[@copitzkymichael3313]

Dude this is a lot of stuff KZbin doesn't do s***It's been like two days

[@Radioalldayyy]

Beautifullll 😂😂

[@charliepena2677]

Great new diet plan - micro plastic maxxing

[@MarfelsLifel]

Peas are in every receipt handed to you, why?

[@AnimeShinigami13]

Minute Earth had a very good video on why these chemicals harm the body. It has to do with their shape. It's really interesting. But the Military started this mess, have the army Corps of Engineers work on cleaning it up.

[@theflowpowa42oshow]

FORE EV ER FORE EV ER FORE EV ER

[@dubsar]

Read saying 21 from the Gospel of Thomas. They want their field back.

[@darren2098]

Humanity is a lost cause can we fast forward to our extinction

[@Dante.-]

Go back to watching Rick and Morty

[@Kingedwardiii2003]

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA MONGOLIA WILL BE FREE