Air Station Cape Cod shares the JBCC with other military outfits, including the Air Force and the Armed Forces. Among the functions Air Station Cape Cod carries out within its jurisdiction are search and rescue operations, maritime law enforcement, providing navigational support, and addressing environmental disasters, like responding to oil spills.
What toxic chemicals were found at Air Station Cape Cod?
JBCC and the bases within its jurisdiction, including Air Station Cape Cod, face environmental damage primarily due to the extensive use of toxic substances for various military activities.
Joint Base Cape Cod has been identified as severely contaminated with PFAS. The base stands over a sole-source aquifer that supplies potable water to between 200,000 and 500,000 residents in Cape Cod. A report from the PFAS Project Laboratory of Northwestern University traced the presence of PFAS from the widespread use of AFFF, a type of firefighting foam. In particular, they pointed out an incident that may have spiked the levels of PFAS at JBCC: multiple tanker crashes.
Between 1997 and 2000, there had been several instances of oil tankers spilling jet fuel onto the base, resulting in fires. Responding firefighters then had to spray AFFF to stop the blaze from spreading and prevent it from reigniting, ultimately discharging PFAS chemicals like PFOA and PFOS, both potential human carcinogens.
What health problems are associated with PFAS exposure at Air Station Cape Cod?
PFAS may have been effective for the production of AFFF, known for its ability to rapidly suppress liquid fires like those stemming from jet fuel. However, it took decades before regulators acknowledged and decided to phase out legacy AFFF due to mounting evidence linking these ‘forever chemicals’ to various illnesses, including chronic health conditions like:
The disease mentioned above are the diagnoses that make you eligible to file a PFAS claim if you meet the other eligibility criteria.
