Linda Birnbaum, toxicologist and former director of the US National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, said: Theres an increasing amount of data showing PFAS are associated with a wide variety of health effects, not only in people but in animals. A spokesman for Air Mobility Command told Military.com that airmen's missions take them around the globe and often involve Copyright 2023 Military.com. Residents and servicemembers are now taking action for the harm they suffered, so read on for more about the link between military bases and water contamination, as well as whats involved in filing a lawsuit. Fort Lewis Logistics Center Their payment will come as a percentage of your settlement or jury award. Congress should also do more to alert active and retired service members and their families about their exposure to PFAS and the health risks they face as a result. New cases and investigations, settlement deadlines, and news straight to your inbox. UPDATED MAP: Suspected and Confirmed PFAS Pollution at U.S. Military Bases, Roses are red, candy is sweet, avoid these additives in your Valentines Day treat, This Valentines Day, give the gift of fragrance without the danger of toxic chemicals, Wildlife warning: More than 330 species contaminated with forever chemicals, Forever chemicals in freshwater fish: Mapping a growing environmental justice problem. The level of PFAS found in the drinking water at both installations is far higher than most experts believe is safe for people, said EWG Senior VP for Government Affairs Scott Faber. And only now are scientists really putting together the pieces, and understanding just how extensive the problems are," he said. Testing by the Department of Defense revealed dangerous levels of the contaminants, drawing concern from public health advocates. McMahon said similar reports expected from the Air Force and Navy this fall will likely increase the number of known contaminated bases. Today, Teflon-like compounds called PFAS are found in the blood of almost all Americans. Those groundwater sites will be added to the departments long list of environmental cleanup responsibilities it has at each of its more than 2,900 facilities around the world, and will prioritize that cleanup based on risk. Little is known about most PFAS because, as The Environment Agencys former chief scientist put it, few PFAS have been subject to extensive testing so information about their hazardous properties is sparse. DoD has already spent $200 million studying and testing its water supply, and also providing either filters, alternate wells or bottled water to address contamination. Last year, the DoD examined 524 installations for two of the most prevalent PFAS chemicals in aqueous firefighting foam, perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and found 401 with some level of contamination. Dangerous levels of toxic PFAS are contaminating water supplies in areas around at least 12 military bases, new Department of Defense testing has revealed, drawing concern from public health advocates that the DoD is not doing enough to protect the public. In 2001, ATSDRs look at Wurtsmith concluded that past exposures to groundwater may have posed an increased risk of developing adverse health effects, but that it was unknown whether the (volatile organic compounds) concentrations persisted at high enough levels for long enough durations to actually pose a public health hazard.. Sullivan estimates the groundwater perfluorinate cleanup will add about $2 billion to the $27 billion previously identified cleanup projects for which the department is responsible. Drinking water laced with high levels of poisonous chemicals may be to blame for cancer and other chronic disease among veterans and families who lived at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northern Michigan, according to a new federal health report draft. Cancer. From there, your attorney will engage with those representing the defendants that is, the companies being sued and the court in an attempt to resolve your case. In England many rivers fail to meet standards for chemical health due to the presence of PFAS, and this widespread pollution could be affecting the wildlife that live in them. PFAS contamination was present in soil and groundwater near the maintenance building they use for testing AFFF firefighting equipment. But Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Environment Maureen Sullivan said Thursday that was "really a wild guess" based on rough calculations during congressional testimony. Protect your health. It occupies a portion of what was once Pease Air Force Base, a former Strategic Air Command facility with a base-related population of 10,000 and which was home to the 509th Bomb Wing (509 BW) flying the General Dynamics FB-111A. By, 'The stakes are high:' Local environmental advocate discusses Red Hill's toxic foam cleanup, China is building six times more new coal plants than other countries, report finds, 'Navalny' director says Russian opposition leader's spirit is unbroken, Climate change is fueling more conflict between humans and wildlife, Michigan State University is enhancing safety protocols weeks after a campus shooting, From the Warehouse to the world: Chicago and the birth of house music, Growth of lelo Hawaii stretches from kupuna to keiki, Pearl Harbor survivor Jack Holder dies in Arizona at age 101. The Marine Corps is eliminating the scout sniper program as part of the service's big Force Design 2030 overhaul. Tara Copp is the Pentagon Bureau Chief for Military Times and author of the award-winning military nonfiction "The Warbird: Three Heroes. For Wurtsmith veterans who have long contended their health problems were likely tied to their toxic exposures on the base, the new findings provide some validation. It has also released the full list of installations, reported in a lengthy chart attached toward the end of the congressional report, and will be working with the Centers for Disease Control next year on a study of the potential long-term effects of exposure. The information submitted on this page will be forwarded to Cohen, Placitella & Roth who has sponsored this investigation. Visit EWG's 501(c)(4) organization, EWG Action Fund. Surface water contamination includes strong evidence of deicing compounds in Cooley Brook, which discharges into . Military Bases & Water Contamination: Whats the Link? And I know there are many people throughout the Air Force and our other military installations who share that concern.. He or she will ask you a few questions and answer any of yours and help determine whether a lawsuit is a viable option for you. Air Force Civil Engineer Center conducts drinking water sampling at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan. Maureen Sullivan, deputy assistant secretary of defense for environment, safety and occupational health, said DoD has already made safety changes at affected bases, including installing filters and providing bottled water to families living there. The military services no longer use PFAS-based firefighting foam in land-based training and, when it is used in emergencies, the site is treated as an environmental cleanup zone after, McMahon said. Flint, Michigan is no longer the only American city synonymous with contaminated drinking . The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for TCE in drinking water, above which long-term exposure could be expected to harm health, is 5 parts per billion. DMAFB is located in the Sonoran Desert which has an arid climate . From benzene exposures from the same groundwater contamination beneath the base, there exists an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia, a type of bone marrow cancer, the report found. EWG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, EIN 52-2148600. The substances grease and water repellent properties enable them to be very mobile, which means that once the chemicals have departed their original products they can slide their way out of old landfills for example, and migrate into the environment. At those locations it has installed filters at the water source or inside base housing, relocated water usage to another well, or provided alternate drinking water, such as water bottles, for personnel, Sullivan said. In 1962, an underground storage tank was installed at the base to store waste TCE, the degreasing solvent. The MichiganDepartment of Environment, Great Lakes and Energyand theAir Forcehave worked on the cleanup of various contaminants in the area ever since those late-70s findings. The Air Force has ensured safe drinking water on the former base and for surrounding off-base residents by continued monitoring and by providing treatment or replacement of water supply wells, where appropriate. McMahon said one of the DoD's goals is to determine its contribution to water contamination at military bases and nearby communities by tracing sources of PFOS and PFOA and solving any issues found. It's going to be somewhere in that vicinity," Sullivan said. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that activities at 126 military bases had contaminated groundwater with PFAS. Two low-cost innovative sampling procedures for characterizing trichloroethene (TCE) contamination in ground water were evaluated for use at McChord Air Force Base (AFB) by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force McChord Air Force Base Installation Restoration Program, in 2001. WASHINGTON - Drinking water supplies at two Washington state Army installations are contaminated with extremely high levels of the toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS, according to Department of Defense data obtained by EWG under the Freedom of Information Act. I think it's going to be bigger than that really. Contamination by toxic PFAS chemicals in ground water at Dover Air Force Base was dramatically higher than federal health limits recommended this year, according to a new analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists. The toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS are now confirmed or suspected at 678 military installations, according to EWGs updated analysis of Defense Department records. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org. For the general public, the main sources of PFAS exposure are from drinking water and food, such as eating fish, eggs, or milk, or livestock that has fed on contaminated land. Both were eventually banned or had their uses restricted under various European and international laws, but being forever chemicals, they have not gone away. In all, 25 Army bases; 50 Air Force bases, 49 Navy or Marine Corps bases and two Defense Logistics Agency sites have tested at higher than acceptable levels for the compounds in either their drinking water or groundwater sources. Their water's been poisoned by PFAS, forever chemicals from one of the military bases on Okinawa," said Jon Mitchell, a journalist originally from Wales who lives in Japan. Harvard University public health scientists say .001 ug/l of PFAS in our water is potentially hazardous. 0:00. Washington, DC 20005. Most vets have a saying, Theyll deny and deny until you die,' he said. A specialized substance designed to extinguish fires caused by petroleum and other flammable liquids, AFFF is known to contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of toxic chemicals. So you just dont do the study., U.S.Rep.Dan Kildee, a Flint Democrat, said in a statement the new ATSDR report confirmed what many veterans serving at Wurtsmith feared that during their service they were exposed to dangerous chemicals in their drinking water., Its the Air Forces responsibility to make sure those exposed to these harmful chemicals have access to the health care they need. Protect your health. The military services' track record for recognizing and admitting environmental exposures on its bases in combat has not been good, from long-standing problems at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, with contamination of the base's water supplies; to mass spillages of industrial solvents at the now-closed Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California; to hundreds of sites across the U.S. that are contaminated with military munitions. Immune system effects. For example, commercial airports and industrial sites also use the foam, which could impact a municipalitys drinking water, but it will be up to that municipality to determine if it will test and make fixes to comply with the EPAs guidelines, Sullivan said. 2 at 800-504-2650. This means you only pay if they win your case. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) opened Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts in 1942. The sites are McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis, both located just south of Tacoma. The detections occurred during tests conducted in 2017 and 2018. The concentration of PFAS chemicals for McChord was 303 ppt and for Fort Lewis, 144.8 ppt. Exposure and digestion of the water can be harmful. The services are also phasing out the firefighting foam they use and working on replacements that do not contain perfluorinated compounds, Sullivan said. For decades, military bases used a type of firefighting foam, known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), to put out fires in training exercises. Next Steps PFAS contaminate the blood of every American and have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer and harm to the reproductive and immune systems. McMahon promised that the PFAS investigation would be different, starting with a website that will provide information and data on PFAS contamination at all current and former military bases. The tests will be carried out in contaminated groundwater on two Air Force bases and a Navy base as part of a wider search for technologies that can break down the long-lasting molecules. Its estimated that, given the widespread use of PFAS and the ubiquitous presence of some of them in the environment, almost everyone on the planet has PFAS in their blood at some level. Further, it has been established that PFAS can pass through breast milk and cross the placenta from mother to fetus during pregnancy. Nellis Air Force Base. ABSTRACT. WASHINGTON Drinking water supplies at two Washington state Army installations are contaminated with extremely high levels of the toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS, according to Department of Defense data obtained by EWG under the Freedom of Information Act. The first target for the department was to address the 36 direct drinking water sources that are contaminated and cut off that human exposure as soon as possible, Sullivan said. Arvos health problems since his service at the base include breast tumors, which are relatively unusual in men; kidney surgeries; severe headaches, a degenerative brain condition and a recent diagnosis of cancer of the spine. Ministers told to get a grip on scale of forever chemicals pollution in UK, UKrisks falling behind Europe in controlling forever chemicals, Toxic substances from chemicals firm site found polluting protected river, Forever chemicals mean Englands waters will miss pollution targets for decades, Revealed: scale of forever chemical pollution across UK and Europe, Buncefield: the PFAS legacy of biggest fire in peacetime Europe, Howbirds of prey are exposing a toxic time bomb, EUunveils plan for largest ever ban on dangerous chemicals, Higher levels of PFAS exposure may increase chance of Covid, studies say. Families with any concerns should be able to go to the bases restoration program manager an on-site point person tasked with addressing environmental cleanup issues with their questions. The tests will be carried out in contaminated groundwater on two Air Force bases and a Navy baseas part of a wider search for technologies that can break down the long-lasting molecules. Someindependent studiessuggest 1 ppt or lower as a safe level of exposure, which is endorsed by EWG. PFAS behave like surfactants, like soaps, says Prof Crispin Halsall, an environmental chemist at Lancaster University. Want to find out if you can file a lawsuit? By submitting this form, I agree to the Terms, Disclaimer and Privacy Notice. In Flanders, the government has advised people living in the neighbourhood of a 3M PFAS factory to stop eating eggs and vegetables from their hens and gardens, and a study by the Technical University of Denmark National Food Institute and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration found that organic eggs in Denmark are contaminated with high levels of PFAS. The data released this week by the military shows levels for five kinds of PFAS compounds at what Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs for Environmental Working Group, characterized as extremely high levels, and he said they present a health threat to residents living nearby. The reality, as you all know, is PFAS compounds are used in a myriad of things," he said. DuPonts Teflon changed our lives, but also polluted our bodies. The tank was removed in 1977 after base personnel discovered it was leaking. ATSDRs reevaluation of its 2001 findings came after Wurtsmith veterans and concerned citizens asked the agency to draw new health-based conclusions that reflect the latest science, the agencys report states. A TCE groundwater plume was discovered beneath the base and emanating toward nearbyVan Etten Lake. While the EPA did not make the guidelines enforceable, DoD decided to test all of its locations and work toward complying with the new standards. Washington, DC 20005. Many chemicals contaminated the waters such as arsenic and lead. The former england air force base in alexandria, louisiana was the most severely contaminated place we visited, with 10,970,000 parts per trillion of pfas in the groundwater. Suite 1000 Thats bad news because many PFAS also tend to bioaccumulate, which means they are absorbed by organisms faster than they can be excreted and will build up over time. Base officials declined to be interviewed, but stated the Robin's drinking water was safe. The US military is testing amethod of destroying compounds known as forever chemicals by mixing water and hot air under pressure. A free event about the film and water contamination in Hawaii will be held at Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu on Saturday night. Benzene levels found in groundwater ranged from 197 to 1,000 parts per billion, far exceeding theEPAmaximum contaminant level standard of 5 parts per billion in drinking water. The Maj. Richard Star Act would eliminate the dollar-for-dollar offset on retirement pay that combat-disabled vets with less Capt. New Mexico's investigations of groundwater contamination near two New Mexico Air Force Bases continued as it sought to find out the scale of the pollution and risk to human health . One Story. A US study that ran between 2005 and 2013, involving the collection of blood samples from about 69,000 people living near the DuPont plant, concluded that there was a probable link between exposure to PFOA and six diseases: high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer and pregnancy-induced hypertension. TheAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR), a federal public health agency within theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this week released new conclusions about the impact of Wurtsmith veterans exposures to unsafe levels of the degreasing solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) and the fuel byproduct benzene in the bases water supply in the 1970s. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Visit EWG's 501(c)(4) organization, EWG Action Fund. Based on the exposure levels and estimated durations, ATSDR now concludes that some children and adults who used TCE-contaminated water for drinking, showering and bathing, or for drinking only, on the base and in surrounding areas, may be at risk for: Heart malformations, including increased risk of fetal heart malformations for pregnant women. A specialized substance designed to extinguish fires caused by petroleum and other flammable liquids, AFFF is known to contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of toxic chemicals. It costs nothing to speak to one of the attorneys we work with, and youre never obligated to take legal action just because you talked to someone about your rights. Denise Bryan, health officer with District Health Department No. Everything you need to know about forever chemicals detected in air, water, soils, sediments and rain. PFAS chemicals have been found in the drinking water of 19 million Americans in 49 states, and unreleased EPA data show that up to 110 million people may have PFAS-contaminated drinking water, according to EWG, which maintains a map of contaminated sites, including military and civilian locations. Compounds detected in the drinking water at both locations included the two most notorious PFAS chemicals PFOA, once used to make DuPonts Teflon, and PFOS, formerly an ingredient in 3Ms Scotchgard. Other studies have reported that PFOS and PFOA can affect the immune system and that by depressing immune response, they can make vaccines less effective. Its an issue not just in New Hampshire, but at military installations across this country, said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire. These chemicals cause a variety of really, really dangerous health effects. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. Top Gun for hire: why Hollywood is the US militarys best wingman, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Two years later in 1990 the base was declared a superfund site by the EPA, noting contaminants such as jet fuel, trichloroethylene, and PFOS/PFOA, which all contaminate the base's water supply. "It's outrageous that the Defense Department is now fighting efforts to address a contamination crisis they helped create.". I do think its great that the ATSDR did this, saidRoger Arvo, aBeavertonresident who was aU.S. Air Forcesergeant on the Wurtsmith base from 1974 to 1977. PFAS have been detected in even the remotest parts of the globe, from the Arctic to Antarctica. Site Hydrogeology. "The military helped create PFAS-based firefighting foams and has understood the risks for decades," EWG Legislative Attorney Melanie Benesh said Wednesday in a news release. To do so, Congress should increase funding for programs like the Defense Environmental Restoration Program and designate PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund toxic cleanup law. The Air Force settled the case in 1980 and installed groundwater extraction and treatment systems to capture TCE and spilled jet fuel. Both were phased out under pressure from the EPA after studies found links to cancer, harm to the reproductive and immune systems, and other health problems. This interview has been adapted for the web by HPR's Sophia McCullough. DoD continues to perform routine sampling at impacted locations off-base and expand sampling to further investigate and identify locations where there is known or potential risk of PFAS release, a spokesperson said. Mitchell will be joined by Erwin Kawata from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, among others. PFAS are man-made chemicals used in products worldwide since the 1950s, including firefighting foam, non . For decades, day-to-day military operations have contaminated the water at bases across the country, including the now-defunct George Air Force Base in Victorville, Calif. Briana Smith/News21 Reading Time: 12 minutes This report is part of a project on drinking water contamination in the United States produced by the Carnegie-Knight News21 program. PublishedFebruary 24, 2023 at 4:19 PM HST, "Nuchi nu Miji - Okinawa's Water of Life"/Jon Mitchell. For the groundwater sources, both on-base and off-base, however, cleanup will take years to address, Sullivan said. (Breanne Humphreys, U.S. Air Force photo/Released). "We are committed to ensuring that we have a safe place for our people and their families to live, work, play and pray," McMahon said. For the other 12 drinking water sources, provided either by a contracted vendor or through the local utility, its a harder fix, because the EPAs guidelines are not enforceable. Denka Performance Elastomer LLC makes synthetic rubber, emitting the carcinogen chloroprene and other chemicals in such high . Newly obtained DoD data provides updated details about PFAS contamination at the previously known sites. The DoD began widespread testing for contamination in drinking water at its facilities in 2016, followed by testing of groundwater on and near military installations. Toxic chemicals contaminate Cape Cod drinking water amid reports of seemingly inexplicable illnesses. Wurtsmith veterans, or their family members, who have questions about potential exposures to TCE and benzene in base drinking water in the 1970s can call District Health Department No. In South Carolina, groundwater contamination has been found at Shaw, as well as at the old Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, the Charleston joint military base and the the National Guard's McEntire air base southeast of Columbia, according to Department of Defense reports. Highest exceedances of PFAS in groundwater were PFHxS at 28,500 ppt, PFOA at 1870 ppt, and PFBS at 758 ppt. EWG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, EIN 52-2148600. In 1997, the base, amid redevelopment, connected to. And also, they'll be able to draw some lessons from how the military has handled this problem in Okinawa," Mitchell told The Conversation. Most PFAS are so well designed and robust that they wont break down in the environment for tens of thousands of years, earning them the moniker forever chemicals. The more than 5,000-acre former Wurtsmith base began operations as an airfield for military aircraft in 1923. 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