The couples son, with whom Arvos wife was pregnant while living at Wurtsmith, was born with significant hearing loss. Robins Air Force Base: The Air Force tested 30 locations on the base and found contamination in 62 out of 77 groundwater samples, as well as some surface water samples, according to a site . 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. ATSDR officials added that the agency will coordinate with other partners to notify concerned citizens and veterans about the findings in this report. The agency also said it will update its exposure assessments should additional information become available, and will support public meetings to discuss the reports findings. TCE levels were found at a high of 46,800 parts per billion at one on-base monitoring well in the late 1970s. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. 2, which includesOscoda County, applauded the new ATSDR conclusions. (Airman 1st Class Amber Powell/Air Force) The water at or around at least 126 military installations contains potentially harmful levels of perfluorinated compounds, which have been linked to. It operated throughout World War II and became a permanent installation in 1951, designated by theAir Forceas a fighter-interceptor training base for theU.S.Air Defense Command. The story of that education stretches from kupuna to keiki. Add to this the minefield of consumer products laden with PFAS, the existing load in the environment, while at the same time more PFAS are being manufactured and created, and it is hard to imagine how at least low-level exposure could be avoided. I will tell you up front, we know there's probably holes in the data," he said. 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. In 1983, investigations had shown soil and water contamination with degreasers and JP-4 jet fuel, and in 1990 . The water was contaminated by firefighting foam used at the former Pease Air Force Base. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org. 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. 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. These are simply the specific bases attorneys working with ClassAction.org are looking into. Companies that manufactured AFFF with toxic chemicals include, but are not limited to, the following: Before filing a lawsuit, your attorney will ask you questions about your work history, places youve lived and how your health has changed since being exposed to contaminated groundwater. 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. Tara Copp is the Pentagon Bureau Chief for Military Times and author of the award-winning military nonfiction "The Warbird: Three Heroes. All rights reserved. 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. Top Gun for hire: why Hollywood is the US militarys best wingman, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The Santa Cruz River flows northwesterly and provides the main drainage for the Tucson basin and is located approximately 4.6 miles west of the base. Clean beauty in 2023 is one of the fastest growing categories in the personal care space, so you may want to give or hope to get clean fragrance this Valentines Day. In mid-September the DOD released shocking new figures that identify the scale of PFAS contamination in 95 installations from 35 states and Puerto Rico. "These chemicals build up. At the direction of Defense Secretary Mark Esper in July, the Pentagon established a task force to study the chemicals -- found in aqueous firefighting foam used on military installations -- and the potential impact they have on personnel and the environment. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime. March 1, 2023. There are lots of potential sources of PFAS pollution. 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. PFAS chemicals are used in industry and consumer products such as food packaging, commercial household products, stain- and water-repellent fabrics, non-stick cookware, polishes, waxes and paint. Later groundwater testing revealed volatile organic and other hazardous compounds in eight contaminated plumes at the military base. The base and surrounding area have been switched to a city ofOscodadrinking water supply that comes from nearbyLake Huronand does not include the contaminants at unsafe levels. The militarys firefighters use aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, which contains extremely high levels of PFAS, in training exercises and emergencies. "This is going to only improve over time. Service members who work at these facilities and the people who live nearby are likely drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals at concentrations that raise serious health concerns. What isnt sweet are the potentially harmful food chemicals that may be hiding in your Valentines Day candies. Suite 1000 And only now are scientists really putting together the pieces, and understanding just how extensive the problems are," he said. The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. The OU 1 plant treated the highest levels of groundwater contamination, what was then a so-called "hot spot," an area that initially . ), Failed to adequately warn the public of the certain health risks associated with AFFF, Sold an unreasonably dangerous product when safer alternatives existed, Failed to provide reasonable instructions on the safe use, storage and disposal of AFFF, Repeatedly represented that the levels of PFAS being found in U.S. residents bodies presented no risk of harm or toxicity and were not medically significant, Had the resources and ability to fund and/or sponsor studies to confirm their representations that PFAS in the body present no health risk, yet failed to carry out such research, Knew the compounds in their AFFF products were carcinogenic and could enter the water supply, yet withheld this information from the public and government entities, Attacked, challenged and tried to discredit studies that alleged, suggested or even implied that adverse health effects were linked to their firefighting foams, Did not recall their products or instruct the public they should not be used upon phasing out production of the toxic firefighting foams and changing their formulas, File motions, briefs and other paperwork with the court. Because military firefighters would use this fire suppressant on a regular basis, contamination with PFAS . Continued investigation to define the nature and extent of contamination around Wurtsmith. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are now investigating potential lawsuits on behalf of individuals who lived on military bases and were diagnosed with any of the following: Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are particularly interested in speaking with people who lived on the following bases, which are believed to have had their water contaminated with PFAS chemicals: A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. And they noted that roughly 600 drinking. 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. In June, theSenate passedthe National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, which contains a number of critical PFAS monitoring and cleanup amendments. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. The detections occurred during tests conducted in 2017 and 2018. Though AFFF is effective, it has led to widespread contamination around bases and airports, and Congress just mandated the military check for PFAS pollution at 700 facilities while earmarking $571m for cleanup, though observers say the cost will likely be much higher. Meanwhile, levels for three other PFAS compounds that the department tested for topped 1,150 ppt, and though no federal standard for those compounds exists, many exceeded limits some states have set. (Airman 1st Class Greg Erwin/U.S. Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Remedial investigations also discovered benzene, a fuels-related compound, in the base and surrounding areas groundwater, presumed to have leaked from a petroleum, oil and lubricant bulk storage area on the base. Now, the community is thriving. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) opened Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts in 1942. A system that breaks down so-called forever chemicals with extreme heat and pressure will be tested at two US Air Force bases and a Navy base, The 3D molecular structure of perfluorobutanoic acid, a type of PFAS forever chemicalShutterstock/Sergei Shimanovich, The 3D molecular structure of perfluorobutanoic acid, a type of PFAS forever chemical. They raise the number of Army installations with known PFAS contamination of drinking water or groundwater from 18 to 108, and the total number of military installations with known contamination from 207 to 297. PFAS foam gathers at the the Van Etten Creek dam in Oscoda township, Michigan, near Wurtsmith Air Force Base. In July the House passed its version of the act, with several PFAS amendments, including one that woulddesignate PFAS as hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law. It's going to be somewhere in that vicinity," Sullivan said. If you run a study now (of Wurtsmith veterans), youll prove there is a relationship. 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. The more than 5,000-acre former Wurtsmith base began operations as an airfield for military aircraft in 1923. PFAS are a class of about 9,000 chemicals used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. The reality, as you all know, is PFAS compounds are used in a myriad of things," he said. They never break down in nature. 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. The American Legion identified limits on attorneys fees related to Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims as one of its top goals. 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. If you lived on a military base and developed cancer or thyroid disease, its possible that your illnessmay have been caused by toxic chemicals in your drinking water. The US military is testing amethod of destroying compounds known as forever chemicals by mixing water and hot air under pressure. Want to find out if you can file a lawsuit? If the case does not get dismissed and the defendants are not willing to settle the matter, the case will proceed to jury trial. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 9,000 chemicals used across dozens of industries to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. EWG has found 28 bases with PFAS in drinking water at levels above those set by some state regulators. Know your environment. Dozens of drinking water wells in Security, Widefield and Fountain are contaminated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). 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. Through Freedom of Information Act requests, EWG has so far confirmed PFAS in the tap water or groundwater at 328 of these military installations. In a March report provided to the House Armed Services Committee, the Pentagon for the first time publicly listed the full scope of the known contamination. But DOD waited until 2011 to warn service members about the risks posed by PFAS. Its up to the owner of that system to make a decision on what theyre going to do, Sullivan So were on a fine line of trying to provide drinking water to our folks when were buying it from somebody else.. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that activities at 126 military bases had contaminated groundwater with PFAS. Many chemicals contaminated the waters such as arsenic and lead. Elmendorf Air Force Base water contamination may have caused health risks such as neurological disorders in veterans who served on the base and even birth defects in children. Groundwater in Alexandria, Louisiana near the shuttered England Air Force Base was found to contain 10,900 ug/l of PFOS and PFOA. Even at low levels, PFAS can cause a number of adverse health effects and have been linked to low birth weights, cancer, immune system problems, thyroid hormone disruption and increased cholesterol. 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.. In 1962, an underground storage tank was installed at the base to store waste TCE, the degreasing solvent. "Since 2016, the drinking water for Okinawans has been contaminated with forever chemicals. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are not handling these cases on a class action basis. On Wednesday, environmental advocates from the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) revealed that 90 more current and former Army and Army National Guard installations had levels of ground or drinking water contamination than previously indicated. Today, Teflon-like compounds called PFAS are found in the blood of almost all Americans. Two Wars. But Faber said the military has known about the threat for decades, and they are only alerting neighbors because Congress ordered them to do so. PFAS can be readily absorbed through ingestion, (e.g., by drinking contaminated groundwater or eating fish exposed to the chemicals) and inhalation and can even enter the body through the skin. The tank was removed in 1977 after base personnel discovered it was leaking. may have been caused by toxic chemicals in your drinking water. However, the water system on the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was contaminated with PFAS, a group of dangerous chemicals, as a result of military firefighters using aqueous film-forming foam, commonly known as AFFF. The primary source of PFAS at military installations is aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, firefighting foam developed by the Defense Department in the 1960s and first required by the Navy and the Marine Corps in 1967. Lake levels are rising across the world and climate change is to blame, Artificial sweetener erythritol linked to heart attacks and strokes, Strange quantum event happens once every 10 billion chances, Northern lights: The best pictures of the aurora taken across the UK, The radical new experiments that hint at plant consciousness, Mediterranean diet may prevent cognitive issues for people with MS. 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. He was in Honolulu to talk about his new documentary film, Nuchi nu Miji - Okinawa's Water of Life, about the forever chemicals, U.S. military presence on the island, and the importance of water. 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. Once your attorney has enough information to move forward with a case, he or she will draft a document known as a complaint that outlines the company or companies you are suing, how you were exposed to PFAS, the medical condition that developed as a result of the exposure and the monetary damages you are seeking. "We're really, really happy to be bringing this documentary to Hawaii because the water here is at risk, the water here has been contaminated," he said, referring to the Navy Red Hill fuel leak in November 2021. They sit at the interfaces between water and particles, water and biota, they can transfer to the atmosphere and theyre so abundant they cycle around the wider environment, and thats the problem weve got.. 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 two bases merged in 2010. TheU.S. Environmental Protection Agencysmaximum contaminant level for TCE in drinking water, above which long-term exposure could be expected to harm health, is 5 parts per billion. Until recently, PFAS contaminated the drinking water of scores of military bases, and many communities near these installations continue to drink contaminated water.