Environmental Litigation Group can help you file a claim for financial compensation by reviewing and applying current regulations while you focus on improving your health if you are a veteran of the United States Coast Guard struggling with cancer. Your case is unique, so let us respond directly to your needs by telling us about your circumstances and where your exposure occurred.
The legal process is simple, requiring minimal involvement on your part and no litigation. You will only have to retrieve your military records and your medical records and send these documents to our attorneys. Our team of experts will promptly help you recover the financial compensation you deserve from the manufacturers of the products you were in contact with while serving on military bases.
Because AFFF was the primary firefighting agent used aboard USCG air stations and U.S. Coast Guard and Navy vessels for flammable liquid fires between the 1960s and the early 2000s, contamination with PFAS was inevitable. The U.S. military has used PFAS-containing foam for fire suppression during non-critical missions and training exercises across several branches, including the Coast Guard, since the late 1960s.
This heavy use of AFFF also had a significant impact on the environment. In June 2018, 1,000 gallons of AFFF were inadvertently spilled at Selfridge Air National Guard Base by the Coast Guard. Cleanup operations were completed a week after the incident, but concentrated levels of PFAS in excess of 1,000,000 ppt were found at the source of the spill.
Not all Coast Guard cutters carried AFFF firefighting systems. Exposure risk is concentrated among cutter classes with flight deck or aviation support capability, since only personnel who served aboard those cutters received basic damage control and firefighting training tied to helicopter and flight deck operations. Some crew members went on to receive additional specialized qualifications connected to AFFF use, even when firefighting was not their primary assignment.
If you served aboard a Coast Guard cutter with flight deck or aviation support capability and held any of the following qualifications, you may qualify for a claim:
- Flight Deck Hoseman / Hose Team
- Hose Team Leader
- Nozzle Man
- Flight Deck On-Scene Leader
- Flight Deck Rescueman / Rescue Crew
- Flight Deck Fire Party
- Fire Monitor Operator
- AFFF system operation and maintenance duties
With decades of use by Coast Guard service personnel and the amounts leaked in and around Coast Guard stations, thousands of retired or active military firefighters may develop the following types of cancer from exposure:
The Department of Veterans Affairs oversees an enormous number of benefits and services for veterans of the armed forces, including the Coast Guard. Some veterans face an initial denial of benefits and have to go through the appeals process. Whether you are just starting your application or your claim has been denied, and you are preparing an appeal, we know the law and the process, and we want to help.
Even mere travel on ships built with asbestos products could expose the crew to toxic fibers, since almost all insulating products used between the 1930s and the 1970s contained asbestos. Nearly 250 Coast Guard cutters were built with asbestos or asbestos-containing products, and asbestos was especially concentrated around boilers, electrical insulation, and wall reinforcement throughout Coast Guard ships. This widespread use means U.S. Coast Guard veterans face some of the highest asbestos exposure risks among the military branches. Cancer eligible for compensation includes:
Asbestos products and materials used aboard Coast Guard vessels
- insulation
- gaskets
- coating
- floor tiles
- mastics
- electric wires
- cement sheet and siding
- joint compound
- ceiling tile
- welding blankets
- valves
- brake linings
Coast Guard jobs with the highest asbestos exposure risk
Veterans directly exposed to asbestos in shipyard work, whether shipbuilding, maintenance, or repairs, faced the greatest risk since asbestos releases fibers easily once its surface is disturbed. High-risk roles include:
- boatswain’s mate
- damage controlman
- electrician’s mate
- gunner’s mate
- machinery repairman
- administrationman
- yeoman
Coast Guard marine inspectors, who routinely entered cargo tanks and pump rooms containing asbestos products, were found in a National Cancer Institute study to have a notably higher mortality rate than other officers in the branch.
Coast Guard vessels known for asbestos exposure
Cutters, the largest ships in the Coast Guard, have large engine rooms that historically contained asbestos insulation and fireproofing materials, exposing crew members assigned to these vessels on an ongoing basis. Coast Guard boats known to have contained asbestos products include:
- cutters
- icebreakers, including polar-class icebreakers
- long-range interceptors
- transportable port security boats
- tug boats
- USCG seagoing buoy tenders
- utility boats
Coast Guard veterans who served during World War II and the Cold War were also exposed to asbestos while working aboard Liberty Ships, which contained significant amounts of asbestos in their pipes, ducts, insulation, and heating systems.
Coast Guard shipyards with a history of asbestos use
Veterans who served at the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard faced asbestos exposure during shipbuilding and repair activities. Asbestos was also present in the shipyard's barracks, known as Fleet Hall, where each wing's roof was built with asbestos-containing shingles.
Coast Guard bases with a history of asbestos exposure
Several U.S. Coast Guard bases relied on asbestos-containing products before the 1980s, including:
- U.S. Coast Guard Base Alameda, California
- U.S. Coast Guard Base Gloucester, New Jersey
- U.S. Coast Guard Base Los Angeles, Long Beach, California
- U.S. Coast Guard Station, Connecticut
- U.S. Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, Maryland
The Coast Guard also commonly used asbestos to protect its ships from fire, insulating areas surrounding engines, boiler rooms, and other high-heat spaces on the lower decks. While most of the Coast Guard's asbestos-containing cutters have been decommissioned, some remained active until 2017, and it is unlikely that every asbestos-containing product has been fully removed from vessels still in service.