Located at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, this military base is one of four commands for the Center for Information Warfare Training, a learning center for Naval Education and Training Command. It is often thought of as the “cradle of cryptology.” The mission of Corry Station is to deliver trained information warfare professionals to the U.S. Navy and joint services, enabling optimal performance of information warfare throughout the full spectrum of military operations.
The source of “forever chemicals” on the military base and on other 700 military facilities nationwide is firefighters using AFFF, a fire suppressant used for jet fuel and petroleum fires that sometimes contains 98% PFAS.
Naval Station Corry Field was historically used to test, store, train, and use AFFF on an emergency basis. Such activities have led to severe and repetead exposure to PFAS of those handling aqueous film-forming foam.
Individuals who might have been exposed to AFFF at Corry Station include:
- Navy firefighters
- civilian firefighters
- aircraft rescue and firefighting professionals
- fire protection specialists
- emergency response teams
- HazMat workers
- firefighting instructors
- maintenance employees involved in fire suppression systems
AFFF exposure might have happened through involvement in training activities, direct contact with firefighting foam, cleaning operations, maintenance work on foam storage containers, inhalation of airborne particles from firefighting foam use, or frequent skin contact with the contaminated equipment.
Studies have shown that certain PFAS chemicals can be associated with higher incidences of kidney cancer and testicular cancer.
In line with many of the military installations established in the mid-twentieth century, Corry Station is composed of older buildings that were constructed during a time when asbestos was commonly used in the United States.
Asbestos-containing materials could historically be found in:
- pipe insulation
- boiler insulation
- duct insulation
- ceiling tiles
- floor tiles
- roofing materials
- wallboard
- cement
- gaskets
- seals
With aging buildings, asbestos-containing materials can break down. Demolition, renovation, or repairs can cause the release of asbestos dust into the air. Once inhaled, the asbestos fibers are trapped in the lungs and cause serious illnesses in later years.
Some of the occupations where asbestos exposure was common include:
- maintenance workers
- electricians
- plumbers, pipefitters
- HVAC workers
- construction teams
- mechanics
- engineers
- civilian contractors
Long-term asbestos exposure has been associated with lung cancer and mesothelioma.