Built in 1941 as Moody Field, this military base is located near Valdosta, Georgia, and is still operational today. Moody Air Force Base covers 4.1 square miles, and in 2010, there were 886 people stationed there.
Environmental restoration has been an important aspect of the development of Moody AFB for more than 30 years now. According to CERCLA, the Air Force evaluated the areas that needed cleanup. Restoration activities include the treatment of soil, environmental monitoring, and asbestos removal, all geared towards ensuring that no harm will be caused to the community and the environment.
PFAS released by the use of AFFF poses a great health danger to everyone who handled the firefighting foam. Two of the most studied chemicals from the PFAS group are PFOS and PFOA, both carcinogenic to humans.
Exposure to these toxic agents occurs by inhalation or ingestion and can eventually lead to the development of cancer. By employing AFFF to extinguish petroleum and jet fuel fires, military firefighters and damage control teams would inhale large amounts of PFAS, which would remain in their bodies forever.
Site activities that might have led to AFFF exposure include:
- firefighting training exercises
- aircraft and petroleum firefighting emergency responses
- testing of fire suppression systems
- maintenance of firefighting equipment
- storage of AFFF concentrate
Occupations that have higher risk of exposure include:
- US Air Force firefighters
- aircraft rescue and firefighting workers
- fire protection professionals
- emergency responders
- HazMat workers
- civilian firefighters stationed at the base
- maintenance workers responsible for firefighting equipment
Similar to many military facilities built during and after World War II, the presence of asbestos was common within the construction of several buildings at Moody AFB due to its durability, fire-resistant, and insulation properties.
Historic asbestos-containing building materials used at military facilities include the following:
- piping insulation
- boiler insulation
- duct insulation
- ceiling tiles
- floor tiles
- roofing materials
- cement board siding
- fireproof wallboard
- gaskets
- packing materials
Despite the removal or containment of many asbestos-containing building materials from these sites, there can still be potential exposure risks during demolitions, renovations, maintenance, or environmental remediation activities.
Individuals who were potentially exposed to asbestos while performing duties include the following:
- civil engineers
- general construction workers
- electricians
- plumbers, pipefitters
- boiler technicians
- welders
- maintenance personnel
- civilian contractors
Since its establishment in 1983, the Moody AFB Environmental Restoration Program has recognized areas needing remediation. The cleanup has entailed the removal of hazardous waste, contaminated soil, asbestos, and abandoned barrels found during environmental investigations. The removal of over 740 tons of contaminated soil, asbestos, and debris from a hazardous waste area is one of the remediation actions achieved.
As such, the installation is still dealing with legacy asbestos contamination through inspection, monitoring, and remediation.