Hill Heat

Subcommittee hearing.

The witnesses will provide an update on the military construction program and infrastructure, including barracks, housing, and range infrastructure. The witnesses will also discuss environment and energy programs, as well as facility sustainment, restoration and modernization accounts.

Witnesses:

• Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Office of the Secretary of Defense
• Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy, Installations
• Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of the Navy
• Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment, Department of the Air Force

The number of incidents where hurricanes, flooding and wildfire have left billion-plus dollar recovery actions in their wake is increasing at an unsustainable rate (e.g., $1 billion at Offutt Air Force Base, $3 billion at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and over $4 billion at Tyndall Air Force Base).

As of December 31, 2023, the Department has completed the initial assessment at 707 (of 715) installations for PFAS contamination. 133 currently require no further action, while 574 are proceeding to the next step in the CERCLA process. For the past several years, DoD’s approach has been that if DoD identifies perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and/or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from DoD activities in off-base drinking water above 70 parts per trillion (ppt), we quickly took action (i.e., a CERCLA removal action) to provide treatment or an alternative water source. DoD has taken this type of action for drinking water wells surrounding 55 installations. Last week, EPA announced a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Department appreciates the clarity the NPDWR provides now that it has been finalized and is evaluating its impact on our efforts to address PFAS in drinking water. The Department has reviewed existing PFAS sampling results, plans to expand existing cleanup investigations, and provide drinking water treatment for impacted off-base wells, on a prioritized basis.

The reality of a changing climate poses a range of risks to Department readiness and threatens installation resilience through dangerous heat, flooding, drought, wildland fire, and extreme weather. These conditions adversely impact training, soldier welfare, equipment performance, infrastructure performance and reliability, and place added strain on the Department’s resources.

DoD lands contain significant resources supporting our nation’s natural and cultural heritage, including resources important to American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and other Indigenous Peoples. DoD lands provide habitats for over 550 plant and animal species that are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, contain over 130,000 recorded archaeological sites, and 41 National Historic Landmarks. We are requesting $703.7 million in conservation funding, which will allow us to manage these resources in compliance with applicable Federal statutes to create healthy and resilient natural landscapes that reduce climate risks such as flooding and wildfire.