Military bases in Alabama have known past or current contamination with PFAS, a group of over 9,000 toxic chemicals. The source of these dangerous substances on military installations is firefighters excessively using AFFF, a fire suppressant that sometimes contains up to 98% of these chemicals. Often dubbed “forever chemicals,” PFAS can persist in the environment for over a thousand years and take years to be completely eliminated by the human body. This greatly endangers the health of veterans, as most people exposed to PFAS develop a disease only within several years or even decades from their first contact with the chemicals.
What toxic agents are present on Fort Benning?
In addition to PFAS, lead was also found contaminating Fort Benning. Still, these chemicals remain the main toxic contaminant at the military base. PFOS and PFOA are the most studied and known substances from this group, and they also have a strong connection with cancer. At the moment, the safe exposure limit for these two chemicals is 70 ppt, but the Environmental Protection Agency has recently proposed substantially lower concentrations that are as close to zero as possible.
PFAS exposure is especially dangerous for military firefighters, who regularly use AFFF, but also for service members who live at Fort Benning and for veterans who were stationed there. Even in small amounts, the presence of these chemicals in the blood can lead to serious, often fatal diseases. Fort Benning is a Superfund site, but it is not currently on the National Priorities List, which means cleanup endeavors are not being carried out at the installation.
What diseases can you develop following toxic exposure at Fort Benning?
There are many health problems exposure to PFAS can result in, but only some diagnoses make a veteran eligible to file a military base toxic exposure claim. Even if they have a qualifying disease, veterans will have to meet other specific criteria to become entitled to financial compensation, as these cases are very complex.
If you developed any of the following diseases while you were stationed on this military base for 1 cumulative year or longer please contact us:
If you are a veteran who spent time at Fort Benning and now struggle with one of these diseases, we strongly encourage you to contact our attorneys, as they have the necessary knowledge, experience, and resources to determine whether you are eligible to file a claim. Eligible veterans will have their claims filed as soon as possible, and our legal team will take care of the most demanding aspects of the process.