Established in 1911 in North Chicago, Illinois, Naval Station Great Lakes is the Navy's largest training installation and the home of Recruit Training Command, where every enlisted sailor completes boot camp. The installation has expanded from its original 39 buildings to more than 1,000 buildings across approximately 1,200 acres. More than a century of military operations has resulted in ongoing environmental restoration activities, including investigations into PFAS linked to historic AFFF use.
Like many Navy installations, Naval Station Great Lakes historically used AFFF to suppress petroleum-based fires. AFFF was commonly used during firefighter training, damage control training, emergency response exercises, fuel fire suppression, fire suppression system testing, and equipment maintenance and testing. Historic AFFF formulations contained PFOS and PFOA, PFAS chemicals that were valued for their effectiveness in suppressing petroleum-based fires and made AFFF a standard tool for firefighting and damage control training at installations like Naval Station Great Lakes for decades.
Firefighters and instructors who handled or worked around this foam regularly had direct, repeated contact with it as part of their training and job duties, through skin contact, inhalation of fumes during use, and handling of equipment and gear saturated with the foam.
Personnel who may have faced exposure at Naval Station Great Lakes include:
- Navy firefighters
- civilian firefighters
- damage control instructors
- fire protection specialists
- emergency response teams
- personnel who maintained fire suppression systems
- personnel involved in firefighting or damage control training exercises
Because Naval Station Great Lakes has trained generations of Navy firefighters and damage control instructors, some veterans may have experienced repeated exposure during firefighting or damage control instruction. Scientific studies have linked certain PFAS compounds found in AFFF to an increased risk of kidney cancer and testicular cancer.
Because Naval Station Great Lakes dates to 1911, many of its original buildings and later expansions were constructed during the decades when asbestos was routinely used for fireproofing and insulation. Asbestos-containing materials commonly used at the installation included:
- pipe insulation
- boiler insulation
- steam tunnels
- vinyl floor tile
- ceiling tile
- roofing materials
- cement pipe and siding
- fire-resistant wallboard
- HVAC insulation
- mechanical equipment insulation
- gaskets and packing materials
Naval Station Great Lakes has documented asbestos exposure. A 2011 environmental condition report identified asbestos-containing materials in NSGL buildings, and training ships stationed there during World War II and the Cold War contained the same asbestos insulation found in the operational fleet. As these buildings and vessels aged, renovation, repair, and demolition projects disturbed asbestos-containing materials and released fibers into the air. Personnel with the greatest likelihood of occupational exposure include:
- Navy Seabees
- Public Works personnel
- electricians
- plumbers & pipefitters
- boiler technicians
- HVAC mechanics
- construction crews
- welders
- ship maintenance personnel
- civilian contractors
- base maintenance employees
Sailors assigned to older barracks, training facilities, warehouses, utility plants, and maintenance buildings may also have encountered asbestos during routine work. Veterans who developed lung cancer or mesothelioma from asbestos exposure at Naval Station Great Lakes may qualify for compensation. Since conditions such as asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, or diffuse pleural thickening are often misdiagnosed, a second opinion is worth pursuing if you've received one of these diagnoses instead.