Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS
Provided by: Environmental Working Group (EWG)|Published on: March 4, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Subjects: Civics, Health
Authors: Environmental Working Group (EWG)
Region: United States
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This map shows 721 military sites with confirmed or suspected PFAS, or forever chemicals, in the United States.
- Students can click the markers on the map to read about the suspected source of the contamination and the type of PFAS present in the test results.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students can easily toggle layers on and off, making it easier to see data as needed.
- Each data site has an informative pop-up that provides additional information.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand what PFAS are and the risks they pose.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Either before or after students analyze the map, teachers can show this video to help contextualize PFAS and give an example of community action.
- To make connections to environmental justice and environmental racism, students can analyze this data in conjunction with demographic data for the communities surrounding contaminated sites.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can discuss the impact of climate change on water supplies and emphasize the need for clean drinking water.
- Teachers can expand on this by digging deeper into the environmental impacts of the military. This video can help touch on some of the other environmental impacts.
Though the webpage does provide a brief description of PFAS and how these chemicals likely contaminated the area, additional discussion or resources may be needed depending on the students' background or the topic of the lesson. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
