The U.S. Army is putting a nearly $300,000 price tag on releasing the results of water tests for a dangerous contaminant at its installations.
The Army told the Environmental Working Group in a March 12 letter that it would charge $290,400 to provide records of water tests for compounds known as PFAS, used in firefighting foam at military bases. Federal toxicologists say PFAS appear linked to cancers and other problems.
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The Army has declined to comment. The Army letter told the environmental group that gathering test records for 154 installations would take thousands of hours.
The environmental group asked for the public records under the federal Freedom of Information Act. Its attorney, Melanie Benesh, says the results would be of interest to communities without the money to pay.
The group says it submitted an appeal Wednesday.
