By Jordan Cade
Sedona, AZ — In 2023, the Department of Defense claimed that around 710 military sites are likely contaminated with PFAS, a considerable jump from the 455 sites that were previously confirmed. The significant increase heightens the concerns for the widespread reach and magnitude of PFAS exposure, particularly for American veterans. Establishing a fully comprehensive and functional PFAS registry can aid in tracking potential health impacts and the treatment of PFAS-related diseases.
PFAS and its adverse health effects on veterans in Sedona
Arizona is home to over 454.000 veterans, out of whom 627 are in Sedona. They were unknowingly subjected to PFAS since many of them were stationed at military bases, where the toxic exposure is high.
PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemicals used in the 1950s, specifically in consumer products. Also known as “forever chemicals” because they almost never break down naturally due to a strong carbon-fluorine bond, these hundreds of substances are found in kitchenware, clothing, and food packaging products, on top of their prominence in military installations, specifically the fluorinated military firefighting foam, commonly known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).
The Department of Defense (DoD) started using AFFF in the 1970s to fight fuel fires, unwittingly releasing PFAS chemicals into the environment and contaminating groundwater at military bases. American veterans stationed at these sites are then exposed to PFAS, increasing their risk of developing health ailments associated with these chemicals.
PFAS exposure has been associated with multiple types of cancers, such as kidney, testicular, ovarian, as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and liver damage. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, PFAS may also affect a person’s immune system and cholesterol level. All of these can pose a serious threat to veterans exposed to PFAS.
Arizona has taken proactive steps to address contamination. In November 2022, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) initiated a comprehensive statewide sampling project to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in public water systems. Over the course of the project, ADEQ tested 693 water systems and analyzed more than 8,000 water samples for 29 types of PFAS over 663 days. The findings confirmed the presence of PFAS in Arizona’s drinking water, with 12% of the sampled systems exceeding the newly established federal standards.
Despite these proactive efforts, challenges remain for veterans and other individuals who were exposed to PFAS, particularly those associated with military bases where PFAS-containing firefighting foams were historically used.
The VA needs to establish a comprehensive PFAS registry
As of 2022, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) still had not officially recognized diseases associated with PFAS exposure. Veterans affected by the contamination continue struggling to seek healthcare benefits connected to their exposure. In addition to that, VA medical centers do not offer PFAS testing, which could have been crucial for veterans’ diagnosis and treatment.
In June 2024, the House of Representatives passed the PFAS Registry Act of 2023, which directs the VA to create a national database for service members and veterans with health concerns due to potential exposure to PFAS. The Act has not yet been voted into law. While the VA has begun tracking PFAS exposure through an official registry, this initiative remains incomplete and underdeveloped, not offering veterans the assessment and care they need. The VA initiative falls short regarding access to timely care and medical attention for PFAS-related diseases.
A robust and comprehensive PFAS registry for veterans will help track exposure levels across all military installations and personnel. It will aid in early detection for PFAS-related diseases and ensure that the necessary care and benefits are provided to affected veterans. The registry can also facilitate faster processing of claims from the department.
To create a thorough PFAS exposure register that forms the basis for overseeing veterans’ health and entitlements, policymakers and VA must take decisive action. Those impacted by toxic exposure will continue to suffer avoidable injury without the attention and acknowledgment their service deserves if such action is not taken.
About the author:
Jordan Cade is an attorney with the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. He specializes in environmental health, showcasing his commitment to and advocacy for both health and the environment.
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1 Comment
Here’s the very sort of unnecessary stone walling and delaying Veterans exposed to toxins face-
While a direct class action lawsuit against Fort McClellan specifically has not been mentioned in the search results, there have been significant efforts to address concerns related to toxic exposures at the former Army base. Fort McClellan veterans have been excluded from previous class action settlements, and there are ongoing efforts to study the effects of service at McClellan, establish a health registry, and provide presumptive service connection for veterans exposed to toxins.
Elaboration:
Exclusion from Existing Settlements:
Military personnel and veterans who served at Fort McClellan were excluded from a class action settlement between the City of Anniston and Monsanto Chemical Company in 2003.
Efforts to Address Concerns:
The Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs has been advocating for studies on the health effects of service at Fort McClellan, establishment of a health registry, and a presumptive service connection for veterans exposed to toxins.
VA and Congressional Involvement:
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has acknowledged the use of toxic chemicals at Fort McClellan, but has not recognized the adverse health conditions associated with service there. Congress has also been involved, with initiatives to study the health effects of service and establish a health registry for Fort McClellan veterans.
Fort McClellan Health Registry Act:
The Fort McClellan Health Registry Act directs the VA to set up a health registry for veterans who served at Fort McClellan between 1935 and 1999.
Toxic Exposures at Fort McClellan:
Veterans at Fort McClellan may have been exposed to various toxic substances, including radioactive compounds, chemical warfare agents, and airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from a nearby Monsanto plant.
Court Decisions and Legal Challenges:
There have been successful court cases, such as McCray v. Wilkie, where the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims overturned a denial of a veteran’s claim related to exposure at Fort McClellan. These cases highlight the importance of seeking legal assistance in challenging VA decisions regarding toxic exposure.
Potential Legal Challenges:
While there may not be a class action lawsuit specifically against Fort McClellan, veterans with concerns about toxic exposure may consider seeking legal representation and pursuing individual claims.
VA benefits for toxic exposure:
Veterans who believe they have been exposed to toxins at Fort McClellan may be eligible for VA benefits, including disability compensation and healthcare.
Bottom line is that the VA, EPA and others refuse to do the work of simply tracking the rates of exposure to every veteran and civilian who were likely exposed to every Chemical and Biological Weapon in the Military and Monsanto inventories. They did the very same with Vietnam and Korean (Post War) veterans exposed to Agent Orange Herbicides and Insecticides which are all Nerve Agent Chemicals. The military also heavily used these defoliants throughout the US on bases such as White Sands Missile Range, Ft Benning and Ft Bragg. There will never be a timely resolution to any of these exposures because they all harken back to wealthy chemical manufacturers like Monsanto, DOW and DuPont and wealthy oligarchs are a protected species in MAGA America!