Morris ANGB covers 179 acres within the northwest corner of Tucson International Airport, and environmental testing has revealed extensive contamination throughout the facility. Since the 1950s, military operations have introduced hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals into the base environment. The Environmental Protection Agency designated the broader Tucson International Airport as a Superfund site in 1983, with ongoing remediation efforts spanning over four decades.
What hazardous substances contaminate Morris Air National Guard Base?
The contamination crisis at Morris ANGB involves multiple dangerous chemicals that pose severe health risks to anyone exposed. PFAS contamination represents the most significant current threat, with testing revealing extremely high concentrations throughout the base. These chemicals originated from extensive use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) by military firefighters during training exercises, emergency responses, and aircraft crash site operations beginning in the 1970s.
Recent environmental testing shows alarming PFAS levels across Morris ANGB facilities. The maintenance hangar recorded PFOS concentrations of 2.1 ug/L, which exceed EPA comparison values by more than 52 times. The fire station and various maintenance areas also showed significant PFAS contamination above screening levels. In some groundwater areas, PFAS concentrations reached 53,000 parts per trillion, an astounding 5,300 times the allowable limit for drinking water.
Morris ANGB is contaminated with the following hazardous substances:
- PFAS compounds (PFOS, PFOA, PFBS) - Forever chemicals from firefighting foam that accumulate in the body
- Trichloroethylene (TCE) - Industrial solvent and degreaser used extensively from the 1950s to the 1970s
- 1,4-dioxane - Toxic chemical compound found in groundwater contamination
- Dichloroethane (DCE) - Volatile organic compound present throughout the base
- Chloroform - Carcinogenic chemical detected in groundwater samples
- Chromium - Heavy metal contamination posing serious health risks
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - Persistent organic pollutants found in soil contamination>
- Various heavy metals - Multiple toxic metals present in soil and groundwater
What serious health conditions can result from toxic exposure at Morris Air National Guard Base?
Exposure to PFAS and other contaminants at Morris ANGB can cause devastating health problems that may not manifest for years or decades after exposure. Cancer represents the most serious risk, as PFAS chemicals accumulate in the body and cannot be naturally eliminated. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified certain PFAS compounds as carcinogenic to humans.
Military personnel, civilian employees, and family members who spent at least one cumulative year at Morris Air National Guard Base may be eligible for compensation if diagnosed with any of these conditions:
Community health impacts around Morris ANGB include over 1,350 residents filing formal claims with the U.S. Air Force for pollution-related illnesses.
