Elissa Slotkin Grills Air Force Sec. On Cleaning Contamination From Air Base Firefighting Chemicals

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During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) spoke about the contamination of bodies of water in Michigan caused by firefighting chemicals at Air Force bases in the state.

Transcript

00:00Following on some of the questions from Senator Peters, I know that that was a decision many of

00:06us worked very hard over a decade to try and get and couldn't get and it breaks a lot of China to

00:12have our F-15s show up to replace our A-10s. We thank you for that. We're very happy about that

00:18decision but can you commit to making sure it happens on time? We have an issue where we could

00:24lose a lot of airmen. If our A-10 pilots and crews go off, they're allowed to go back into

00:30normal civilian life and then years later we get our F-15s. So can you commit to doing all the

00:36environmental studies, all the pieces that have to go into place in order to have them arrive on time

00:41as the President announced? Yes, Senator. We are working out delaying that plan based on the

00:49President's decision and as we have more detail we'll make sure to provide that.

00:54Okay, great. Thank you. The other issue is also related to the Air Force. It's on the issue of PFAS

00:59and Forever Chemicals, particularly at Oscoda, in Oscoda at a Wurtsmith Air Force base. The Air

01:06Force does not dispute over the past decade that it was the PFAS from the firefighting foam on the

01:12base that contaminated local people's waters, their lakes, right? These are like there are kids that

01:18swim in those lakes. There are waters that are drank by an entire community and last year the EPA

01:23put a scientific standard on how much PFAS you can have on water before it makes you sick.

01:29We were thrilled and the Air Force, to their credit, came into action and said we'll now begin taking

01:35interim measures to clean up PFAS in Oscoda, Michigan, among other places. Last week the

01:41administration reversed that decision and now does not care about the health standards of PFAS in our water

01:47water. And I'm wondering, will the Air Force continue to take interim measures to clean up the

01:52water around Wurtsmith Air Force base? So Senator, I'm not familiar with the decision you referenced, but

01:59the department will continue to work to make sure that both our people and the surrounding communities

02:07are prioritized and we will work to clean up and be transparent about it. Okay, because for a decade

02:14we tried to get the Air Force to move. They wouldn't until last year. And then the EPA standards were

02:19again slid backwards despite this administration's interest in making American healthy again. I guess

02:24that doesn't matter when it comes to forever chemicals in our water. So I just ask your help in committing to

02:31continuing those interim measures. They're gradual, they're not steep, but we need to hold the Air Force,

02:38you know, you have to clean up what you messed up for this community that cannot drink its water,

02:44that cannot safely swim in its water. And then lastly, let me just ask, you know, we had a lot of debate and

02:52discussion about the gift of the Qatari jet that was given to the president for Air Force One.

03:00Has the country of Qatar, General Alvin, submitted a request to buy F-35s, an official request to the Pentagon?

03:09I have not received a request for them to buy F-35s. Mr. Secretary, are you aware, that's been reported

03:14publicly, that they have now submitted recently a request to buy F-35s? I'm not aware of that,

03:21Senator, but I'll take it for the record. Okay, I think it's important because we just had a four-star

03:26Navy, number two of the Navy, convicted yesterday of bribery for a very similar type of thing, pay for

03:34play. We give you a gift, we give you an opportunity, you make things happen for us inside the Pentagon.

03:41It was embarrassing to have a four-star admiral convicted in court yesterday, highest ranking in

03:47American history. So I just ask, as the president is moving to try and accept a gift of a jet,

03:53that we don't do something as stupid and as obvious as pay for play on selling the Qataris' F-35s.

04:01So I'd ask you to very, very rigorously look at that issue, and I yield back.

04:06Thank you, Senator Slotkin. Senator Scott.

04:09Thank you, Chairman. First off, thanks to each of you for your service.

04:12Joe Alvin, Secretary Mink, let me first talk about Homestead.

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