Lawmakers Hail Commitment on Health Screenings

Press Release

Congressmen Patrick Meehan (R/PA-07), Brendan Boyle (D/PA-13) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R/PA-08) today secured a commitment from the chairman of the House's defense spending panel to work with the lawmakers and the state of Pennsylvania to address the need for health screenings in communities surrounding the former Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base at Willow Grove and the former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R/NJ-11), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee, pledged to work with the lawmakers and Pennsylvania's government on the issue during debate on an annual defense spending bill. Frelinghuysen indicated that measures taken in Pennsylvania could be used as a national model for addressing similar groundwater contamination issues near former military installations.

In addressing Meehan during the floor debate, Frelinghuysen said, "Our committee is certainly committed to working with him and thank him for his leadership and we'll be working very closely with him and with the state of Pennsylvania to see what sort of partnerships we can put together to address this problem," Frelinghuysen said. "What might be a success in Pennsylvania could look [to be used] across the nation for implementation as well."

"Make no mistake: the federal government is responsible for this water contamination," said Congressman Meehan. "We owe it to the Pennsylvania families and communities affected to cover the cost of needed health screenings…The Navy deserves credit for being proactive on this issue. But we've held private companies responsible for industrial contamination of groundwater wells. We should hold the Navy to the same standard," Meehan said. "I'm grateful for the Chairman's commitment to addressing this issue and I'm grateful for the continued bipartisan work on it with my colleagues Brendan Boyle and Mike Fitzpatrick."

"Our community is seeking information regarding their years -- decades -- of past exposure to these chemicals at the hands of our military," said Congressman Boyle. "We must help affected residents make informed health decisions…. The federal government must fulfil its obligation to these communities, and we all must pay closer attention to this growing issue," said Boyle. "I appreciate the Chairman and Ranking Member's commitment to working with us to push the DOD to fulfill its responsibilities."

"The Department of Defense has begun the process of checking whether chemical compounds like PFOS and PFOA may have contaminated groundwater surrounding more than 660 military sites across the nation, including confirmed contamination around the former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster and former Willow Grove Naval Station in Horsham. In each of these instances, both public and private wells in my district have been impacted by contaminated groundwater -- rightly concerning residents and local leaders," said Fitzpatrick. "Because of this immediate and widespread concern, it is only right that the Department of Defense increase efforts to offer health screenings in communities surrounding these formerly used defense sites. Congress must work together to reaffirm this government's commitment to protecting the health and safety of its citizens."

The lawmakers have worked closely together since the discovery of chemical compounds PFOA and PFOS in the groundwater surrounding the former military installations in Montgomery and Bucks Counties.