Pennsylvania is home to nearly 800,000 veterans, and many of these brave people trained at military bases during active duty. However, the vast majority of military installations across the country have been heavily contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” for decades. Exposure to these harmful substances is responsible for countless health problems, including kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer.

The Keystone State is also home to four military bases. One of the military facilities in the state with a high PFAS level in its environment is North Penn. Located in Worcester, the military base has a “forever chemicals” level of 315 parts per trillion, which exceeds the EPA’s new safe exposure limit of 4 parts per trillion by over 78 times.

Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster is another military base in Pennsylvania with a high PFAS level in the environment. Established in 1940, the environment of the military installation contains a “forever chemicals” level of 27,130 parts per trillion, eclipsing the maximum permissible limit by 6,782 times. Serving 40,000 residents, the water system of Warminster is also contaminated with PFAS and other toxic agents due to the activity of the nearby military base. There are currently 18 contaminants lurking in the drinking water of the city above the safe exposure limit, among which are chloroform, arsenic, PFOA, PFOS, radium, dichloroacetic acid, and uranium. Because “forever chemicals” can easily infiltrate groundwater, it should come as no surprise that the water supply of Warminster is now contaminated.

Another military base in the state with a high PFAS concentration is Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove. Founded in 1928 and located in Horsham Township, Montgomery County, the military facility has a “forever chemicals” level of 1,642 parts per trillion, which is 410 times over the safe exposure limit set by the EPA. Because of military firefighters and trainees releasing PFAS by using the fire suppressant AFFF at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, the drinking water supply of Horsham Township now contains 20 contaminants over the maximum permissible limit, including PFOS and PFOA. Other toxic agents present in the water supply, which most likely made their way into it due to the military base’s activity, are uranium, chloroform, arsenic, perchloroethylene, and chromium.

Even though PFAS can affect the health of communities living close to military bases, the people who have to suffer the most as a consequence of exposure are veterans, as they came in direct contact with these dangerous chemicals regularly on active duty. Military firefighters began using the firefighting foam AFFF, which sometimes contains 98% “forever chemicals” in the 1960s, and that is when contamination began occurring at nearly all military installations nationwide. A recent study from Environmental Health Perspectives examined the risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors in U.S. Air Force servicemen exposed to PFAS in the military. The researchers found that elevated PFOS concentrations were positively associated with testicular cancer, including after adjustment for other PFAS.

Unfortunately, veterans whose health was impacted by PFAS exposure often have a challenging time accessing the VA benefits they are entitled to, as the VA does not recognize a direct connection between exposure to “forever chemicals” and the diseases it can cause. A sliver of hope for these veterans is the VETS PFAS Act, which was introduced by Sen. Debbie Stabenow on July 17, 2023. The purpose of this bill is to provide healthcare and medical services to veterans who were stationed at military bases where they were exposed to PFAS and to establish a presumption of service connection for certain veterans who lived at military installations where exposure to PFAS occurred. Some of the diseases this bill would cover are kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, testicular cancer, and high cholesterol.

“If the VETS PFAS Act became law, veterans injured by “forever chemicals” exposure at military bases would have a significantly easier time obtaining the VA healthcare and disability compensation they deserve for their unjust suffering,” says Gregory A. Cade, Principal Attorney at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.

Jonathan Sharp is Chief Financial Officer at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.