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. The more than 5,000-acre former Wurtsmith base began operations as an airfield for military aircraft in 1923. In 2016, residents near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan discovered that the water they drank, bathed in, swam in, and fished in was contaminated with jet fuel, cancer-causing. 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. 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. This interview has been adapted for the web by HPR's Sophia McCullough. 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. "This is a national issue, and it has to have a national solution. 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. Toxic Forever Chemicals: What Are PFAS? "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. 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. Immune system effects. Copyright 2023, Environmental Working Group. SECURITY - A multi-million dollar lawsuit has been filed against the federal government because of groundwater contamination from the use of firefighting foam at Peterson Air Force Base. Fort Lewis Logistics Center Cancer. It was DuPont that introduced PFAS to the world in the 1940s as Teflon and it was DuPont that revealed how harmful they could be. 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. Surface water contamination includes strong evidence of deicing compounds in Cooley Brook, which discharges into . It's equally as important, I think, for us to recognize that we have a responsibility for the communities that surround our installations," McMahon said. The community drinking water in Nellis Air Force Base may be contaminated with many toxins like Monochlorobenzene (chlorobenzene), Trichloroethylene and Bromate, and may battle rising scales of water hardness. Kirtland Air Force Base jet fuel leak, USA A decades-old jet fuel spill contaminated soil and groundwater beneath Kirtland Air Force Base, moving towards wells supplying drinking water to Albuquerque. Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. 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. The DoD data confirms for the first time the presence of PFAS contamination at the Montesano Armory east of Aberdeen, but at .8 ppt it is below the level EWG considers safe. "We really hope by screening this documentary in Hawaii, that people here will be able to understand that they are not alone, that this contamination has occurred in Okinawa, and hopefully, people will be able to draw some similarities. For the groundwater sources, both on-base and off-base, however, cleanup will take years to address, Sullivan said. 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. Read more: Former Camp Pendleton Battalion Commander to Face Domestic Violence Charges. Arvos wife, who lived on the base with him, has had breast cancer and thyroid problems. PFAS behave like surfactants, like soaps, says Prof Crispin Halsall, an environmental chemist at Lancaster University. These included 36 sites with drinking water contamination on-base, and more than 90 sites that reported either on-base or off-base drinking water or groundwater contamination, in which the water source tested above the Environmental Protection Agencys acceptable levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate or perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as PFOS and PFOAs. Many chemicals contaminated the waters such as arsenic and lead. The levels of PFAS detected at both McChord AFB and Fort Lewis were well above the Environmental Protection Agencys lifetime health advisory of 70 parts per trillion, or ppt. 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. Protect your health. Jack Holder, a Pearl Harbor survivor who went on become a decorated World War II flyer, has died in Arizona. EWG has found 28 bases with PFAS in drinking water at levels above those set by some state regulators. PFAS chemicals have been detected in the drinking water of19 million Americans in 49 states, and unreleased EPA data show that up to110 millionpeople may have PFAS-contaminated drinking water. PFOS and PFOA are chemicals that were used in many industrial and consumer products, such as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabric, some food packaging, and specialized foam. Eielson AFB is located approximately 25 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. Thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism), Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Randolph, Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, Texas, Seymour Johnson Air Force base, North Carolina, Wurtsmith Air Force base (Oscoda), Michigan, Past and future medical expenses, including prescription costs, surgery, medical treatments and doctors visits, Loss of marital benefits (care, comfort, sex, etc. Toxic chemicals contaminate Cape Cod drinking water amid reports of seemingly inexplicable illnesses. For the past seven years, Mitchell has been investigating increased PFAS levels near Kadena Air Base, a key military hub in the Asia-Pacific. 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. 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. 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. McMahon said the task force has generated 40 recommendations and goals, from short-term fixes to long-term solutions to address PFAS-related issues. Know your environment. The man-made chemicals, which can be used to make items heat or water resistant, are found in everyday household, food and clothing items, even take-out food wrappers. At the time, no one knew the contaminants were from the military base. This means if you want to pursue legal action over your injury, you will need to file your own lawsuit with your own attorney. 1250 I Street NW 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. There are more than 25,000 soldiers and civilians who live and work on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which also supports more than 100,000 military retirees and nearly 30,000 family members. This interview aired onThe Conversationon Feb. 24, 2023. EWG has found 28 bases with PFAS in drinking water at levels above those set by some state regulators. Someindependent studiessuggest 1 ppt or lower as a safe level of exposure, which is endorsed by EWG. 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"This is going to only improve over time. You can learn more about the difference between class action and individual lawsuits here. Langley Air Force Base/NASA Langley Research Center 159. 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. 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. Some PFAS have been linked at very low doses to cancer, reproductive and immune system harm, thyroid and kidney disease, and other health problems. The two bases merged in 2010. At least 12 military bases contaminating water supply with toxic PFAS Testing by the Department of Defense revealed dangerous levels of the contaminants, drawing concern from public health. 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.. Through Freedom of Information Act requests, EWG has so far confirmed PFAS in the tap water or groundwater at 328 of these military installations. 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. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) opened Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts in 1942. 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. For more information on the Air Force's response to Reese visit: https://www.afcec.af.mil/Home/BRAC/Reese.aspx. The water was contaminated by firefighting foam used at the former Pease Air Force Base. "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. "These chemicals build up. Meanwhile, the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act mandates that the defense department phase out AFFF and use safer alternatives already on the market. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment Bob McMahon told reporters during a media roundtable that he "expects to see growth [in the number of bases contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS] as we begin to get a better understanding and better characterization of where we are.". Dozens of drinking water wells in Security, Widefield and Fountain are contaminated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). He declined to provide specifics, saying he has not shown Esper the group's list. 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. Theres a hint in the shorthand for the properties of some PFAS, which is PBT: persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. 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. Now we have the technology, and we have the expertise to understand more about the health impacts of long-ago contaminant exposures. The ensuing lawsuit, which led to DuPont settling 3,500 personal injury cases for $670.1m (555m), was made famous by the Mark Ruffalo film Dark Waters. "We've spent about $200 million a year for 10 years; that would be $2 billion. 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. DuPonts Teflon changed our lives, but also polluted our bodies. "This is an integral part of taking care of our people. Peterson Air Force Base (PAFB) is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Air Force via AP) "Since 2016, the drinking water for Okinawans has been contaminated with forever chemicals. Suite 1000 Bryan was among those instrumental in bringing awareness about another water contaminant emanating from the Wurtsmith base, nonstick forever chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. These are simply the specific bases attorneys working with ClassAction.org are looking into. Visit EWG's 501(c)(4) organization, EWG Action Fund. The focus area for sampling was approximately a three (3) miles radius surrounding the Base property boundary within which 13 community water systems were sampled. There are nearly 700 military installations with either confirmed or suspected ground water contamination caused by fire-fighting foam using in vehicle and aircraft mishaps, according to new. March 1, 2023. So far toxicity can only be applied to PFOS and PFOA, but PFOS has also earned itself an additional letter: uPBT, with the u standing for ubiquitous a clue as to how widespread the contamination has become. In a statement, the DoD said it has since 2016 provided bottled water and filtration systems or connected residences to municipal water lines in locations where it has found PFAS contamination. Washington, DC 20005. The claims, stemming from contamination at the Victorville base from the 1970s through the early 1990s, have been submitted to the Air Force's Judge Advocate General's Corps by the Military . They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking water in some countries. 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. EWG officials noted, however, that the DoD has not only been slow to recognize the problem of PFAS, it has fought cleaning up the contamination for years. 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. 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