By Xie Shilin

谢石林

The US media recently discovered that the US military had quietly delayed the cleanup of PFAS contamination at nearly 140 military bases through a task list released by the US Department of Defense. The cleanup at some bases had been postponed for nearly 10 years. This decision has triggered strong dissatisfaction from residents of the affected communities and local officials. There is widespread concern that the US military has placed its military interests above the health and safety of the public.

近日，美国媒体通过美国国防部公布的任务清单发现，美军悄然推迟近140处军事基地的全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）污染治理工作，部分基地的清理时间被延迟近10年。这一决定引发受污染社区居民、地方官员的强烈不满。外界认为，美军在军事利益与民众生命健康的天平上严重失衡。

PFAS is a key component in military firefighting foam. For decades, US military bases have used foam containing PFAS in jet fuel fire suppression training. Once the foam infiltrates the soil and groundwater, it remains persistent due to its slow degradation, creating a long-term pollution risk. In 2017, several communities near US military bases began reporting PFAS contamination in their drinking water. Currently, nearly 600 US military bases are facing PFAS pollution issues. Studies have confirmed that long-term exposure to PFAS can lead to cancer, developmental issues in children, fertility problems, and other health risks.

PFAS是美军消防泡沫中的关键成分。数十年来，美军基地在喷气燃料火灾灭火训练中大量使用含有该物质的泡沫。这些泡沫渗入土壤与地下水后，因难以自然降解，形成长期污染隐患。2017年，美国多处军事基地周边社区陆续报告饮用水中PFAS含量超标。截至目前，美军已有近600处基地存在PFAS污染问题。研究证实，长期接触该物质会导致癌症、儿童发育障碍、生育问题等。

It is reported that nearly 140 bases are affected by the cleanup delay, with an average postponement of 5 years, and some sites may not begin actual remediation work until 2039. The US Department of Defense explains the delays as stemming from technical challenges and the scale of the problem. A report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) notes that the scope of the contamination at military bases is much larger than originally anticipated, with some sites covering hundreds of thousands of acres (1 acre equals 4,046 square meters), requiring comprehensive testing to determine the full extent of contamination. At the same time, the report states that existing PFAS filtration technologies require pumping groundwater for filtration before reinjection, a complex and costly process.

报道称，此次治理延期的基地有近140处，平均延后5年，部分基地的实际清理工作要到2039年才能启动。美国国防部对此的解释为技术难题与规模压力。美国政府问责局发布报告称，美军需评估的污染基地范围“远超预期”，部分基地面积达数十万英亩（1英亩约合4046平方米），需全面检测才能确定污染范围。同时，该报告称，现有PFAS过滤技术需抽出地下水过滤后回灌，流程繁琐且成本高昂。

However, this explanation has been met with skepticism. Public opinion widely believes that the US military's investment in pollution remediation is in stark contrast to its defense budget. Since 2017, the US military has spent only $2.6 billion on PFAS cleanup, while the US defense budget for 2026 is set to reach $925 billion. Ironically, the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act also plans to cut funding for toxic substance cleanup and eliminate the ban on purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam. This means that more PFAS may be released into the environment in the future, creating a vicious cycle of "cleaning up while contaminating."

然而，这一理由难以服众。舆论普遍认为，美军在污染治理上的投入与其军费预算形成鲜明反差。自2017年以来，美军仅为PFAS治理累计花费26亿美元，而2026年美国国防预算高达9250亿美元。更讽刺的是，2026年《国防授权法案》还计划削减有毒物质清理资金，并废除对PFAS消防泡沫的采购禁令。这意味着未来可能有更多PFAS被排入环境，形成“边治理边污染”的恶性循环。

In the US, the growing dissatisfaction over the delayed cleanup has sparked widespread public outrage. Public opinion holds that the US military should not continue to evade its responsibility for pollution remediation by citing "technical difficulties" and "large-scale contamination." The military interests should not be placed above the health and safety of the public. If the US government cannot even ensure the safety of drinking water, the notion of "national security" becomes meaningless. Increasingly, communities, local officials, and lawmakers affected by PFAS contamination are calling on the US military to re-prioritize its efforts, expedite the cleanup process, and bring an end to the decades-long crisis of these "forever chemicals" that continue to threaten public health.

在美国国内，治理延期引发的不满情绪不断蔓延。舆论认为，美军不应以“技术难度大”“治理规模广”为由持续回避污染治理责任，将军事利益凌驾于民众生命健康之上。若连本国公民的饮用水安全都无法保障，所谓的“国家安全”便无立足之地。美国国内越来越多受PFAS污染影响的社区、地方官员及国会议员共同呼吁美军重新调整工作优先级，尽快推进污染清理计划，早日终结这场已持续数十年、威胁无数人健康的“永久化学物”危机。