"Army Bill For Public Records On Contaminant: About $300,000"

"WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has put a price tag on releasing the results of water tests for a dangerous contaminant at military installations: nearly $300,000.

In a March 12 letter, the Army told the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group, that the military would charge the group $290,400 to provide records of water tests at 154 installations for a family of compounds known as PFAS, which federal authorities say appear linked to certain cancers and other health and developmental problems.

Formally called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS are found in firefighting foam used at military bases and are in a wide range of nonstick and stain-resistant consumer products. First made after World War II, the tough compounds have been dubbed “forever chemicals” because they are expected to take hundreds or thousands of years to break up."

Ellen Knickmeyer reports for the Associated Press March 20, 2019.

Source: AP, 03/21/2019