For decades, the department of defense knew firefighting foams with ‘forever chemicals’ were dangerous but continued their use

As far back as the 1970s, studies conducted by the Department of Defense showed that the firefighting foam used on military bases and ships known as aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, that contain the fluorinated chemicals now known as PFAS were toxic.

By the 1980s, animal studies conducted by the Air Force revealed that PFAS chemicals could pose environmental and health risks. Here is a timeline of internal DOD studies and reports detailing just how much they knew about the dangers of using AFFF.

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1963

Navy scientists seek patent for AFFF.

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1966

Navy granted patent for AFFF.

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1967

Fire on the USS Forrestal kills 34 sailors.

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1973

Air Force report, citing toxic effects of AFFF, calls for carbon filtration.

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1974

Air Force report cites toxic effects of AFFF on fish and suggests treatment of AFFF waste.

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1976

Navy scientists cite toxic effects of AFFF.

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1978

Navy study cites toxic effects of AFFF.

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1983

Air Force technical report finds PFDA has toxic effects in mouse studies.

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1985

Navy report again cites toxic effects of AFFF.

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1989

Citing toxic effects, Air Force calls for better management of AFFF waste.

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1991

Army urges Fort Carson to stop using “hazardous” AFFF.

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2000

DOD alerted that PFOS is “bioaccumulative” and “toxic.”

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2001


DOD memo finds PFOS “persistent, bioaccumulating, and toxic.”

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2001

DOD and EPA hold meeting on military use of PFAS in AFFF.

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2011

DOD releases a Chemical and Material Emerging Risk Alert for AFFF, citing “human health and environmental risks.”

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2016

Assistant secretary of defense directs branches of the military to prevent uncontrolled environmental releases of AFFF and to dispose properly of PFOS containing AFFF.

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2018

DOD report to Congress states that there are 401 sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination.

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2019

DOD PFAS Task Force created.

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2019

Number of DOD sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination grows to 651.

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2019

FY2019 NDAA requires the secretary of defense to “conduct an assessment of the human health implication of PFAS exposure,” including an estimate of the number of service members who may have been exposed to PFAS.

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2020

U.S. Army Reserve veteran Jim Holmes testifies before the House Appropriations subcommittee, detailing how PFAS has harmed his family during their time living on base.

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2020

EWG finds there are 678 DOD sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination.

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2020

FY2020 NDAA prohibits DOD from the use of PFAS-containing AFFF during training exercises and requires DOD to phase out its use by 2024.

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2021

Deputy assistant secretary of defense testifies that PFAS cleanup at DOD sites could take decades.

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2021

DOD inspector general report finds that “DOD Officials Did Not Take Proactive Risk Management Actions to Mitigate Contaminant Effects From PFAS-Containing AFFF at DoD Installations.”

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