Yakima Training Center

The Yakima Training Center is a large U.S. Army live fire, maneuver, and combined arms training range in central Washington, near the cities of Yakima and Selah. Its origins trace to 1941, when military units in the Pacific Northwest began using the Yakima Anti-Aircraft Artillery Range, and a camp built during World War II became known as the Yakima Firing Center. In 1951 the Army acquired roughly 261,000 acres, and the installation was renamed the Yakima Training Center in 1990 to better reflect its mission. Today it is administered in connection with Joint Base Lewis-McChord and supports live fire training, maneuver exercises, and Reserve Component mobilization courses. Decades of operations across the range have left a number of areas requiring environmental review.

Among the environmental concerns at the site are questions about historical use of firefighting foams and the substances they contained, which have been studied for their persistence in soil and groundwater and for potential effects on nearby drinking water sources.

1. AFFF: Aqueous Film Forming Foam is a firefighting foam used to suppress fuel fires during training and emergency response. At the Yakima Training Center, AFFF used over many years is identified as a source of the chemical compounds that later appeared in groundwater. AFFF is the route by which the related substances below were introduced, and concerns about potential exposure center on the wells located off the installation.
2. PFAS: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a broad family of manufactured chemicals valued for resisting heat, water, and oil, and they were a key ingredient in firefighting foam. At this base, PFAS associated with foam use migrated into groundwater, and Army testing reported levels above federal health standards in off-base drinking water wells. PFAS have been associated in some studies with a range of health concerns, and they are noted for not breaking down readily in the environment.
3. PFOS: Perfluorooctane sulfonate is a specific PFAS compound that was common in older foam formulations. Sampling connected to the Yakima Training Center has detected PFOS in groundwater and in discharge points, including elevated readings near where the site's wastewater is released. Research has examined possible associations between PFOS and certain health effects, though findings continue to be studied.
4. PFOA: Perfluorooctanoic acid is another individual PFAS compound linked to legacy firefighting foam. It is among the substances of concern in the groundwater monitoring around the installation. As with related compounds, PFOA has been the subject of health research, and agencies continue to evaluate potential exposure pathways for nearby residents.

The Yakima Training Center is not listed on the National Priorities List. Instead, cleanup is being managed as a Washington state cleanup site under the Department of Ecology's program, with records dating to the early 1990s and a status of cleanup underway. The Army notified Ecology of PFAS detections beginning in 2020 and 2021, and the state issued an enforcement order in 2023. Through 2025, Ecology has continued to press the Army over the pace of disclosure and the installation of water filtration for affected households, and remediation remains ongoing.

Veterans, family members, and others who lived or worked at the Yakima Training Center may wish to keep track of cleanup updates as the state and the Army continue their work. Anyone with questions about possible exposure is encouraged to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a personal health care provider, who can offer guidance based on individual history and current medical information.