According to the Environmental Working Group, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is on the list of top 100 PFAS-contaminated military bases in the country, having a concentration of these chemicals of 264,000 parts per trillion. This greatly exceeds the permissible 70 parts per trillion limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Because of the extent of PFAS contamination, the military base was deemed a Superfund site by the previously mentioned organization, and rigorous cleanup activities are currently ongoing on the site.
What contaminants of concern are lurking on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
The environmental levels of PFAS on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst are 24,000 higher than the safe limit. Consequently, PFAS are the primary contaminants of concern on the military base. They are also known as "forever chemicals", which means that once they are released into the environment, they do not break down and persist until they are removed by organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
If you wonder where such a tremendous concentration of PFAS came from, the answer is simple: AFFF. This is a fire suppressant that has been used since 1966 by military firefighters and trainees to put our petroleum and jet fuel fires. It contains a large amount of PFAS that are inevitably released into the environment while using it. To make matters worse, other contaminants were found on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which are the following:
- bromodichloromethane
- chloroform
- dibromochloromethane
- dichloroacetic acid
- haloacetic acids
- nitrate
- radium
- trihalomethanes
- trichloroacetic acid
These toxic agents have a strong connection with various types of cancer, which greatly endangers the health of every member of the military who has been stationed at this military base for more than a couple of months. Exposure to these contaminants occurs by inhalation and ingestion. If you spent time at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, we advise you to pay close attention to your health and to seek medical attention immediately if you experience unusual or bothersome symptoms.
What health problems can exposure to PFAS cause?
There are numerous health issues exposure to PFAS can result in, the most serious and potentially deadly being cancer, which can develop on multiple organs and tissues in the body, depending on where the largest amount of these chemicals has accumulated. In addition to cancer, PFAS exposure is also responsible for the following health problems, which are also the diagnoses that qualify you for filing a toxic exposure claim:
In the unfortunate event that you have one of the diagnoses above, please contact our lawyers, as you may be eligible for compensation. If you meet the requirements, we will file a toxic exposure claim on your behalf so that you can get the money you are entitled to for your suffering. Last but not least, if you are a woman who stayed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst while pregnant and gave birth to a child with health problems, you should also give us a call, as you can recover compensation on behalf of your baby.
