The current PFAS level on Buckley Air Force Base is 299,000 ppt, exceeding the safe exposure limit by over 4,200 times. Although the military base is a Superfund site, it has not been added to the National Priorities List yet, which means cleanup activities are not carried out at the site. The fire suppressant AFFF has been excessively used by military firefighters since 1967, as it is very effective in putting out jet fuel and petroleum fires. Still, it is highly toxic, as it sometimes contains up to 98% PFAS. Not only do these chemicals persist in the environment, but they also stay in the body for a very long time following exposure.
What toxic agents are present on Buckley Air Force Base?
At the moment, the only known contaminants of concern at Buckley Air Force Base are PFAS. Out of these chemicals, PFOS and PFOA are known to be the most harmful, as they have a strong connection with multiple forms of cancer. The PFOS level at the military base is 90,000 ppt, whereas the PFOA level is 190,000 ppt.
While the current safe exposure limit is 70 ppt, the Environmental Protection Agency has recently proposed substantially lower safe limits for these two chemicals, specifically 0.02 ppt for PFOS and 0.004 ppt for PFOA. According to the new limits, the PFOS level at Buckley Air Force Base is 4.5 million times over the safe limit, whereas the PFOA level eclipses it by 47.5 million times.
What diseases can you develop following toxic exposure at Buckley Air Force Base?
Toxic exposure on military bases can result in countless diseases, but veterans who intend to file a claim should keep in mind that only certain diagnoses make them eligible for compensation. Even if they have one of the qualifying diseases, they might still not be eligible to file a claim, as there are other requirements they have to meet. The following are the diagnoses that might deem veterans who were stationed at the military base for 1 cumulative year or longer entitled to financial compensation:
We strongly advise veterans who have one of the above diseases to contact our experienced attorneys if they were also stationed at Buckley Air Force Base, as they are likely eligible to file a claim. Our attorneys will carefully assess their situation to determine whether they qualify for compensation, and those who do will have their claims filed as soon as possible. With over 30 years of experience in toxic exposure cases, our law firm has what it takes to help veterans whose health was compromised by toxic exposure.