Brown Urges DoD to Block PFAS Incineration in East Liverpool

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has called on the U.S. Department of Defense to block the resumption of incineration as an approved disposal method of hazardous chemicals in East Liverpool and communities across the country. 

In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Brown urged a halt to plans to burn perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “in Ohio or elsewhere.” 

PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, pose a threat to public health and are designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as hazardous substances.

“Researchers have shown that East Liverpool has measurable soil samples of PFAS due to the years of incineration that took place between 2019 and the start of DoD’s moratorium,” Brown wrote in the letter.

A study published in 2023 found PFAS soil concentrations near Heritage Thermal Services, a hazardous waste incinerator in East Liverpool. Thirty-five soil samples were taken, and all had “measurable amounts of PFAS.”

“I am concerned by recent reports that indicate the DoD is seeking approval to once again incinerate PFAS. This would be a mistake,” Brown wrote. “PFAS do not break down easily and are linked to a variety of serious health issues, including cancer, liver damage, fertility problems, and developmental problems in children. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recent designation of PFAS as a ‘hazardous substance’ provides further validation that the disposal of [Aqueous Film Forming Foam] must be handled with extreme caution and transparency.”

Brown’s full letter can be viewed below.

Pictured at top: A plume rises from the emission stack at Heritage Thermal Services in East Liverpool.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.