Naval Station Great Lakes is currently a Superfund site, as the issue of PFAS contamination is acute. Along with the Navy, the Environmental Protection Agency is striving to clean up the toxic chemicals from the site, which is a very challenging job, as PFAS are also known as "forever chemicals". This means that, once they are released into the environment by the use of AFFF, they persist, which makes the removal process very difficult. Similarly, when PFAS enter the human body, they cannot be eliminated and can thereby lead to the development of serious diseases over the years.
What toxic agents are present on Naval Station Great Lakes?
There are multiple contaminants lurking in Naval Station Great Lakes due to poor waste management practices, but by far the most concerning is PFAS. Its presence is enough to alarm the people who were stationed there, as well as the members of the military who are currently spending time on the military base. Two of the most studied, as well as the most dangerous, compounds from the PFAS group, are PFOS and PFOA. Exposure to both of these dangerous chemicals may result in harrowing diseases such as cancer.
AFFF was first manufactured by the U.S. Navy together with the renowned 3M company in the early 1960s. Since then, it has been widely used by civilian and military firefighters to put out class B fires. Even the personal protective equipment worn by firefighters was found to contain a layer of PFAS, which only increases the extent of toxic exposure.
While firefighters receive the brunt of the exposure, other military personnel as well as civilians living around Naval Station Great Lakes may also be exposed by drinking contaminated water, as PFAS is believed to have seeped into the groundwater and drinking water. These chemicals have also been detected in food, especially fish, caught around the area. In fact, a study published in the Environmental Research Journal showed that consuming a single serving of fish from the Great Lakes Basin significantly increases PFOS levels in our blood.
The Navy also publishes an Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for the drinking water in the NSGL area. This water quality report is based on the tests conducted on the surface water from Lake Michigan, which is the main source of drinking water on the base. Because there are no federally regulated standards for PFAS in drinking water, the Navy still chooses to follow the EPA'S pre-2022 guidelines for 70 ppt of PFAS and PFOA in drinking water. However, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has its own health-based guidance levels of 2 ppt for PFOA and 14 ppt for PFOS. In 2021, the Navy's tests of the drinking water on the base showed PFOA and PFOS levels of 2.7 ppt and 2.3 respectively.
If you suspect you may be suffering from a disease caused by military exposure to PFAS, we strongly encourage you to seek medical attention and to visit multiple specialists, as misdiagnosis is very common among victims of toxic exposure. Not only will having the right diagnosis grant you access to the most effective treatment, but it will also influence the sum of money you will receive following claim submission.
How are they cleaning up Naval Station Great Lakes?
Although Illinois has 46 Superfund sites on the National Priority List, Naval Station Great Lakes is not a part of the NPL despite the Environmental Working Group finding 22 contaminants in the drinking water in and around the base. 13 of these contaminants exceed the current health guidelines proposed by the EWG.
Currently, the Navy has found 27 sites within Naval Station Great Lakes that contain hazardous material releases. Each of these sites is being investigated as part of the NSGL's cleanup program and is being monitored by the EPA. The Navy follows the environmental restoration guidelines stated in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as the Superfund.
What diseases can exposure to PFAS result in?
The most serious disease exposure to PFAS can cause is cancer, which may develop on various organs and tissues in the body. Because PFAS can travel through the body via the bloodstream and the lymphatic system, they may reach any organ or tissue, where they will gradually damage it until disease develops. It is important to keep in mind that you can recover compensation only for certain diagnoses if you were injured by PFAS, as there must be a definitive causal relation between your toxic exposure and your disease. The following are the diseases for which you can file a toxic exposure claim if you spent 1 cumulative year or longer at the military base:
It is worthy of note that, if you are a family member of a veteran who was stationed with them at Naval Station Great Lakes and came to struggle with one of the diseases above, you can also file a toxic exposure claim to recover financial compensation. Similarly, if you were pregnant during your stay at this military base and gave birth to a child with health problems, our attorneys will help you file a toxic exposure claim to obtain compensation on behalf of your baby.