A deadline for completing the cleanup of “forever chemicals” contaminating drinking water on parts of Whidbey has been pushed to 2034, according to a release from U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.

Earlier this month, Murray sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of Defense Dale R. Marks voicing her concerns about the Department of Defense’s delaying ofplanned investigations and remediation efforts for contamination sites nationwide. Specifically, she questioned their purpose, the process of their determination and the inadequate method of their communication.

“Americans deserve to know why the Department is suddenly delaying efforts to provide clean drinking water for military families and the communities that support them,” she wrote.

According to the release, Congress has dedicated nearly $2.5 billion towards investigating and cleaning up per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination sites. The chemicals, known as PFAS, were a component of a firefighting foam used on military bases to combat jet-fuel fires but are now linked to cancer and other serious health issues.

“Any attempt to delay or slow-walk this important cleanup work is unacceptable,” she wrote.

Over 700 installations and communities have been affected by PFAS nationwide, according to the release. That includes Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and surrounding areas, as well as Naval Base Kitsap, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Yakima Training Center and Fairchild Air Force Base.

Of those 700, the DoD has determined that no further action is required at 117 installations while 586 are proceeding to the next step — Remedial Investigations — in an already lengthy process.

Preliminary Assessments and Site Inspections are completed on Whidbey. Remedial Investigations are either ongoing or planned at Ault Field, Seaplane Base and Outlying Landing Field Coupeville, according to materials presented at the Restoration Advisory Board’s September meeting. Extensive sampling of wells has been conducted, and the Navy also funded a water filtering system for the town of Coupeville.

Murray pointed out in her letter that “this delay means that at least 15 years will pass between the initial discovery of contamination in 2017 at both Fairchild AFB and NAS Whidbey Island and the beginning of cleanup.”

In a statement to the News-Times on Friday, NAS Whidbey Island’s Public Affairs Office stressed the DoD’s commitment to PFAS cleanups but did not elaborate on the delays’ impact on local efforts.

“The Department’s timeline for cleanup is dictated by the cleanup law (i.e., CERCLA) and its regulations, and it reflects both an evolving understanding of PFAS conditions at our military installations and additional investigation based on drinking water standards that EPA finalized last year,” it read.

Murray’s letter includes a Dec. 15 deadline for a briefing explaining the delays and what the DoD is currently doing to address PFAS contamination.