Submitted by mjlen4 t3_ychsx9 in Washington
Comments
Aksar0 t1_itnjyzb wrote
Our rainwater has these same forever chemicals. This spot isn't special, it's worldwide. Of course pollution levels vary and areas that were used as firefighting practice tend to be higher on the spectrum. What suggestions would you offer for something the military could do to help in current day? They cannot filter the water in underground aquifers. And they most certainly cannot go back in time knowing what we know now to never have used the chemicals to begin with.
salamander_salad t1_ito9bv2 wrote
Rainwater does not contain PFAS/PFOS.
And we are working on remediation methods right now. The navy, for example, is working on remediation for the wells it has contaminated in Kitsap county. I'm a little surprised that the army isn't at least trying to look like it's doing more than the navy.
VGSchadenfreude t1_itol2uh wrote
Or rather, it’s not supposed to contain those chemicals.
It certainly does now…
salamander_salad t1_itrh6yk wrote
It does not, unless you know of a way PFAS and PFOS are being released in the atmosphere.
VGSchadenfreude t1_iubf2y1 wrote
Pwillyams1 t1_itn1ctk wrote
Anyone who would write "Even the Army seems to not care" has never been in or even near the Army.
hawtfabio t1_ito813k wrote
Lol. Surely the army has the best interests of the average American citizen in mind.
Winstonthewinstonian t1_itodgq4 wrote
And their own soldiers!
Active-Ad3977 t1_itoxaiw wrote
Especially with the Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit commercials playing constantly on network television
VGSchadenfreude t1_itol0zc wrote
I probably should’ve read this before adding my own comment. Oops.
FRX51 t1_itmdgzu wrote
Who would've guessed that the army doesn't give a shit about human life?
C0git0 t1_itmyd8n wrote
Oh, you mean the guys whos job it is to kill stuff don't care about not killing stuff?
RocYourFace t1_itmhsfs wrote
The military has never cared and will never care. Many members have stories of how it's affected the environment across the world where they've been stationed. Middle east and need to changed oil? Just dig a hole, let it drain, and cover it when done.
Jasonrj t1_itspy0w wrote
If you drain your oil into a hole in the ground in the Middle East, isn't that just recycling?
ddiiibb t1_itme17k wrote
Just like the navy and Hawaiis aquifers. Jet fuel leaking into tap water and nobody gets in trouble for it.
rilo_cat t1_itmgpun wrote
"even the army" as if the military isn't responsible for poisoning drinking water within the US & all over the world
mjlen4 OP t1_itp05c1 wrote
fact. I AM 20 GIMMIE SOME TIME TO CATCH UP 🤦♀️
[deleted] t1_itmi1ik wrote
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Bedouin69 t1_itmvlg5 wrote
Yup! They don't care.
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
wateranimus t1_itncpdr wrote
I was just thinking about that. First thing that came to mind.
avitar35 t1_itneurs wrote
Most areas within quite a few miles of a military base are contaminated, as well as anywhere with a fire department that used them. They had a well pop in Issaquah a few years back, *determined to be from Eastside Fire. I know there’s multiple wells in Tacoma thatve popped for it as well. Not to be so pessimistic but they’re called forever chemicals for a reason, unless you’ve discovered some way to clean them up they’re here to stay.
Coppermill_98516 t1_itoseoc wrote
At this point, PFAS compounds are ubiquitous. They are everywhere and firefighting foam is just one source. They can be found in food packaging, cosmetics, rain gear and household goods to name just a few sources. The average person primary exposure pathway is from household dust.
birdbonefpv t1_ito8alz wrote
Yakima can start helping themselves by electing leaders that actually care about environmental issues.
jessepinkmna t1_itoxuhx wrote
Majority of people who live in Yakima are Mexican immigrants. And a lot of them are undocumented. That community doesn’t vote because they don’t know how.
The minority of white people in Yakima completely dominate the polls. My community is unrepresented in Yakima.
mjlen4 OP t1_itoza5s wrote
exactly. beautiful said.
mjlen4 OP t1_itozuv9 wrote
We should start removing biases that are a fundamental issue in urban communities where ag. labor is needed. Where the only ones that have no other choice but to do so, have a better understanding of what they need to NOT ONLY SURVIVE but thrive in their community.
[deleted] t1_itqtdat wrote
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yaba3800 t1_itoqo7d wrote
How does that go back in time and prevent the army from testing firefighting foam?
_stayhuman t1_itn7spu wrote
Same thing that happened at FCAFB in r/Spokane.
astaristorn t1_itnbfh1 wrote
Yakima is in the most conservative district on the west coast. I’m sure Newhouse is working on a fix as we speak. It’s bootstraps. The fix is bootstraps.
jacksparrahh t1_itmfbck wrote
Facing a similar situation in CT right now. Unfortunately, there’s really nothing that can be done besides stopping the contamination from entering the groundwater.
BusConfident1756 t1_itmve69 wrote
Military and police care for themselves only
azdood85 t1_itmy5sj wrote
Maybe theyll slice out an apology fund the next DoD funding bill that passes congress... just kidding...
mjlen4 OP t1_itp0a1k wrote
my mom and i gaffawed. 🥲
cybercosmonaut t1_itnjd6c wrote
Don't read about the army families drinking jet fuel water in Hawaii if this surprises you.
errhead56 t1_itmycua wrote
How would you propose we can help?
Vi0lentLeft0vers t1_itn9iww wrote
“Oh, you too?? 🥹”
-- Airway Heights
Intelligent-Paper-26 t1_itoce1m wrote
Oh the Palm Springs of washington has tainted soils and water?
You ever hear about Hanford? That’s leaking right into the Columbia river. In Yakima.
yaba3800 t1_itoqtl9 wrote
Hanford is not leaking in to the Columbia and its not in Yakima. It is a very contaminated superfund site, for sure though.
Intelligent-Paper-26 t1_itp121s wrote
Energy announced in April 2021 — following a year-long leak assessment — that Tank B-109 is leaking toxic, radioactive nuclear waste into the soil. This waste can find its way into groundwater over time and eventually reach the Columbia River.
yaba3800 t1_itp4gt1 wrote
Soil>groundwater. Wells are tested regularly and their contents are studied. There is no known radioactive leaks into the Columbia river.
VGSchadenfreude t1_itokzw4 wrote
Dude, the Army makes its own soldiers live in polluted, condemned buildings. Why are you surprised that they don’t care about poisoned wells civilians have to use?
zer05tar t1_itnouj3 wrote
Get your arsenic levels checked. Likely your water is contaminated as well. Lead in the soil and the air we breath, etc etc. This goes back decades.
Prometheus357 t1_itnxkcg wrote
I’m going to go on a limb: between this and flint and others I wouldn’t be surprised if it ever came out that nestle and others were behind these tainted water supplies to ratchet up bottled water sales.
KevinCarbonara t1_itohi4c wrote
Don't worry, we passed a law requiring you to give money to corporations every time you use a paper bag
ElatedLemur t1_itqv8jr wrote
The United states military is the #1 polluter of the entire world. There’s more fish nets and fishing trash in the ocean than any singular straw or cola can rings, plastic straws account for less than 10% of all waste in the ocean. And the US military HAS BEEN dwarfing that for centuries. Just look at all the weapons Biden left when we pulled troups out.. fully functioning weapons just disposable and now usable by the enemy. Why’s the military budget so extreme? Because of the extreme waste. If These guys make it out they come back and get in pickup trucks and throw red bulls out the window bc murica we do what we want and shit I almost died and got exposed to cancer bc of the military but who gives a shit about you and who gives a shit about the environment
ElatedLemur t1_itqvfpp wrote
Make sure to recycle! Even tho the majority of your efforts end up in the waste pit anyway. Govt has fooled the masses into ignoring their evils.
Teknuma t1_itr0pbj wrote
Sad but buy a water filter like Berky.
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Enchanting_Smith t1_itn1f9i wrote
I dont think my berekleys equipped for this :(((
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MadRollinS t1_itown3r wrote
Camp Legeune would like to have a word.
mjlen4 OP t1_itoz1sh wrote
lol tru SORRRY ITS PUBLIC RECORD. I should've worded it safer but idk. once i figured out this is normal; i'm 20 and devastated. i don't want this to be it. is that so selfish ? 😕
MadRollinS t1_itpulnz wrote
Not selfish at all. I'm not 20 and I don't want this to be it. However, that which has a beginning tends to have an end. Only thing to do is prepare for whatever is next.
There are times when I look at the earth and swear I can hear how heavy hearted it is. Groaning to turn around and face another day of damage and destruction, it can't bear to look at itself to see what it's become. How ugly and dirty and tattered it must feel. It's only comfort: the warmth of the sun and fall of the rain.
I wax maudlin.
mjlen4 OP t1_itqtks8 wrote
i- 😦☹️bawling YEP.
MadRollinS t1_itsskpz wrote
I wish I could do more than say "sorry" to your generation. I'd fix it if I could. There's too much. Too many who profit off the destruction.
It all wearies me. I'll be glad when it's over. I put my hope in God. I hope you do, too. Everything else is just pissing in the wind.
Bigtreesbigsmoke t1_itp7sjc wrote
That’s are tax money hard at work doing more harm than good!
strongwithpurpose t1_itpz940 wrote
It's the depressing truth. Wherever the military lays roots, the surrounding lands and people suffer long-term damage.
Nightstorm_NoS t1_itqqqzs wrote
Military or government makes bad decision that requires money to clean up, they just make the tax payer cover the bill. Why should they care when they are spending other people’s money?
Okibruez t1_itrxqtr wrote
Tainted water and the government doesn't care? Say it ain't so. Say that something so foul couldn't happen!
I say, while living less than 100 miles from Flint Michigan, a city that's had tainted water for over 50 years now, with very little outrage and even less government assistance. This shit ain't new. This shit's just part of the American Life Experience.
And the military not caring about human life is even less surprising.
RippingLegos t1_itszwrx wrote
You do know that Yakima is fairly close to the largest superfund site in the country, Hanford... Our government fucked over the Columbia and possibly the Pacific Ocean, and thousands of people, both civilians and military personel.
https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=1001114
mjlen4 OP t1_itthj3j wrote
my sisters bf was a nuclear engineer and he mentioned this before same with Camp Lejeune shit is so dumb.
Pwillyams1 t1_itn1zje wrote
Everyone talking about the Army, Nayv, military......, go ahead and replace those words with "our government ". Same Federal government, same executive branch has both the armed services and the EPA. Also the FDA and OSHA and a hundred "lesser" departments and programs who use taxpayer money to "protect " citizens
Ltownbanger t1_itn2ow6 wrote
OSHA isn't poisoning the groundwater. Stop distracting from the issue.
Pwillyams1 t1_itnffmk wrote
And yet OSHA cares exactly as much about you as the department poisoning the groundwater.
darlantan t1_itnwlxc wrote
You're mostly just coming across as not understanding what OSHA does, bud.
Pwillyams1 t1_ito315v wrote
It's not about OSHA's or any other agency's mission, bud. It's about the level of concern the agency has, as a whole, for the citizens of the US. Maybe that wasn't as obvious as I believed it to be. Bureaucrats across the board go about their days with preserving their jobs and doing as little as possible just like in the private sector.
salamander_salad t1_ito9roo wrote
>Bureaucrats across the board go about their days with preserving their jobs and doing as little as possible just like in the private sector.
Your hot take sounds a little like projection.
In fact there are a lot of people who do their jobs because it's what they want to do (the paycheck allows them to do it). In OSHA, EPA, and other agencies that protect people from abuses I'm willing to bet there are a lot more of those people than in the army.
[deleted] t1_itng6ae wrote
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appsecSme t1_itn91uu wrote
I suppose you believe we'd be better off without the EPA, and just allowed corporations and anyone else to just poison even more of our natural world.
It isn't all the same thing. The US pre-EPA was a hellscape.
Pwillyams1 t1_itng3s2 wrote
I don't even believe we'd be better off without the Army but that doesn't mean they don't need strong oversight and to be held accountable for their failures. Just like every other department in our government
ignatzami t1_itmi4z2 wrote
Yakima that Republican loving bastion of Trump is begging for HANDOUTS! Fuck. Them.
yaba3800 t1_itmjigl wrote
Were all Washingtonians my guy, spreading hate doesnt make us better or help the people of Yakima. Whether they were R or D, the army was still poisoning the wells.
[deleted] t1_itmt6lm wrote
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Yuvneas t1_itn02i5 wrote
Honestly, the continued bailing out of red areas should come with riders. We should be forcing them to improve their schools and taking control of curriculum in exchange for aid. After all, a good education is the most effective prevention to conservatism/fascism.
yaba3800 t1_itn6xwd wrote
In this case, the national level army caused ecological harm to a small, powerless community. There's no politics about it, it's about Americans being able to grow up free from chemical harm. There should be no riders or political issues involved at all. Help Americans, that's it.
Yuvneas t1_itn8ur2 wrote
I disagree. There should have been environmental regulations on the military, regulations that the republicans have time after time blocked. By their history of voting against their interests they have made their own beds. Help should be provided, but we should be able to take measures that the next generation doesn't end up as stupid as the one that got us here. If left to their own devices they would rather install christian nationalism.
yaba3800 t1_itnaf0b wrote
There are environmental regulations on the military, they work under NEPA like the rest of the government. Forever chemicals like PFAS are CEC's or chemicals of emerging concern. Their negative health effects were not known and were seen as safe to use. There is no bad guy in the town of Yakima that is guilty of being poisoned by the US army. They are Americans who, regardless of how they vote, were poisoned by their own government and deserve redress.
Yuvneas t1_itnh8cg wrote
Republicans, "we're all americans, everyone should bail me out despite digging this hole myself."
Sorry, I don't give a shit about a bunch of regressives. Why am I supposed to care about a bunch of people ushering in fascism, stripping my rights away and supporting politicians who think I should be put in front of a firing squad for being queer?
yaba3800 t1_itnienr wrote
Okay, lets say that every adult republican voter in Yakima is the person you think they are. 52% of voters so far have cast their votes for Tiffany Smiley for senate, 48% for other, non-MAGA candidates. Current population of Yakima is about 100,000. So 48,000 people DID NOT vote for the hate you claim they did. Do they deserve to drink poisoned water? Do the children of Yakima deserve to drink poison water for being born there?
[deleted] t1_itn9cdj wrote
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yaba3800 t1_itna3ig wrote
Yakima was settled in 1805, long before firefighting foam was used by the US army.
[deleted] t1_itnak9j wrote
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yaba3800 t1_itnas8t wrote
What a nonsense thing to say. The people of Yakima did not vote to be poisoned. The PFAS in firefighting foam were not known to be hazardous to humans. Its an ecological disaster caused by the Army and should be fixed under CERCLA.
[deleted] t1_itmjzsj wrote
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flippedpineapples t1_itml7he wrote
A huge portion of the population is Latinos. They vote D, but because of gerrymandering their votes don’t count. Go fuck yourself. Leave politics out of it.
ignatzami t1_itmld6j wrote
And the gerrymandering is done by… go ahead, I’ll wait.
yaba3800 t1_itml8wv wrote
It sounds like you need to do some soul searching. Youre becoming the evil you hate.
VariousHumanOrgans t1_itmr4cm wrote
Fuck you, conservatives have been targeting us for decades. Turning the other cheek only slows progress and gets us killed.
ignatzami t1_itmlode wrote
I’m fine with that. Liberal waffling has been massively successful… oh wait, not successful… the other one.
mountainskank t1_itmpczt wrote
Intelligence
islandlalala t1_itnkcx3 wrote
I’m with you. Tired of playing fair and being called a baby raper. Jesus fucking Christ. Thoughts and prayers, eastern Washington republicans. Thoughts and prayers.
c0y0t3_sly t1_itmdbdh wrote
The title sounds surprised that the Army doesn't care. Isn't the pretty much exactly why they picked that stretch of scrub, so they could do things like this in a stretch of ground nobody gave a shit about?
I'm not saying it's okay. But it doesn't seem surprising to me