Fort Eustis was established in 1918 and became a permanent Army installation in 1923. It is now part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis following the 2010 consolidation with Langley Air Force Base, and has served for decades as a major Army transportation, aviation, logistics, and training center. The age of many of its buildings and the military's historic use of firefighting foam have made asbestos and PFAS ongoing environmental concerns at the base.
Joint Base Langley-Eustis has documented PFAS investigations tied to the historic use of aqueous film-forming foam. Military installations routinely relied on AFFF for aircraft fire training, emergency response drills, firefighter certification exercises, equipment testing, and hangar fire suppression systems. PFOA, PFOS, and other PFAS chemicals found in older AFFF formulations are known to persist in the environment long after the foam is used.
Fort Eustis has an active Environmental Restoration Program and has been listed on the EPA's National Priorities List since 1994 due to contamination from historical military activities. The installation is also investigating PFAS releases connected to historic firefighting foam use, and federal agencies note that these investigations include potential contamination from AFFF used during past firefighting operations.
Personnel who may have faced exposure at Fort Eustis include:
- military firefighters
- civilian firefighters
- aircraft rescue personnel
- fire protection specialists
- airfield personnel
- emergency response teams
- hazardous materials personnel
- personnel involved in firefighting training
- individuals who regularly worked near aircraft hangars or fire training areas
Scientific research has linked certain PFAS chemicals to an increased risk of kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, elevated cholesterol, liver damage, and immune system effects. If you served as a firefighter or in firefighter training at Fort Sill and later developed one of these conditions, you may be eligible for compensation.
Because Fort Eustis was built during and shortly after World War I, many of its facilities were constructed at a time when asbestos-containing materials were standard in military construction. Numerous buildings on base predate asbestos restrictions, and decades of maintenance, renovation, and demolition work have created ongoing opportunities for exposure. Asbestos was commonly used in the following materials at Fort Eustis:
- pipe insulation
- boiler insulation
- steam tunnels
- roofing materials
- floor tiles
- ceiling tiles
- cement products
- fireproof wall panels
- mechanical equipment
- HVAC systems
- gaskets and packing materials
Many of these materials remained in place for decades before renovation or demolition projects began removing them, and exposure was generally greatest among personnel whose duties disturbed older construction materials. Occupations with a higher likelihood of exposure include:
- construction personnel
- Army engineers
- electricians
- pipefitters & plumbers
- HVAC mechanics
- boiler technicians
- maintenance workers
- welders
- demolition crews
- remodelers
Personnel who regularly worked inside older barracks, warehouses, maintenance buildings, motor pools, and industrial facilities may also have encountered deteriorating asbestos-containing materials. Veterans diagnosed with lung cancer or mesothelioma after asbestos exposure at Fort Eustis may be eligible for compensation. Non-cancerous conditions such as asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, or other lung scarring carry a high rate of misdiagnosis, so a second opinion is strongly advised if you've received one of these diagnoses.