Michigan lawmakers in Washington DC want veterans to receive full coverage for health problems stemming from PFAS exposure.
The industrial chemicals have been discovered in sites across Michigan and the US, many of them military bases.
Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee is a sponsor of new legislation. It would require the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide free services for veterans and their families who suffer from PFAS related health conditions. Kildee said veterans are at a higher risk of exposure, in part because so many military bases have PFAS contamination.
“We felt that there was a specific obligation to say to the VA, you must cover these as duty-related conditions,” Kildee said.
More than 100 military sites across the U-S have discovered PFAS contamination – in part because the military has used firefighting foam containing the chemicals.
Senator Debbie Stabenow supports the legislation because, “It’s still unclear all of the ways that there may be health challenges, but we don’t want veterans worrying about what happens if they find out that they have exposure and that one of these conditions exists.”