Interim action to treat the discharge of “forever chemicals” on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island will not be operational until fiscal year 2028, the Navy recently confirmed.

Inquiries about the Navy’s cleanup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, on and around military installations are subject to clearance by the Office of the Secretary of War. As such, the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Northwest, or NAVFAC, did not release comments on this action until Jan. 8, after the publication of an initial News-Times story on Dec. 19.

The Navy initiated the action upon detection of “elevated” levels of PFAS substances in groundwater at the Area 6 Landfill, according to a report dated October 2025. Materials containing PFAS — like firefighting foam intended for jet-fuel fires — have historically been disposed of at that location.

Initiating an interim action allows the Navy to address the discharge “prior to identifying the final PFAS remedy” for the area, the report adds.

The Navy estimates the project’s total net worth to be $5.73 million, NAVFAC confirmed.

GreensandPlus, a “granular filter media” will be used to remove “naturally occurring manganese” from the groundwater before Fluoro-Sorb 200, “a granular clay media” which traps PFAS contaminants through adoption, is used, NAVFAC explained.

Public comment on the matter closed on Jan. 8.