Air Force

Past activities at McGuire AFB in support of operational missions created a number of waste sources of potential environmental concern. Site investigations and long-term cleanup are ongoing.

The primary mission of the 4,198-acre Luke Air Force Base (LAFB) site was to provide advanced flight training to fighter pilots. Discharges and waste disposal practices at LAFB resulted in soil and possible groundwater contamination. Thirty-two areas of the base were subject to further investigation. Soil was contaminated with waste oils and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) resulting from the diverse processes that have taken place at the site. Groundwater was potentially contaminated with waste oils and VOCs. Potential human health hazards include accidental ingestion or direct contact with contaminated materials.

Donaldson Air Force Base in Greenville, South Carolina, was closed in 1963. The property was transferred to the City and County of Greenville, South Carolina in 1964. It is currently owned 50/50 by the city and county, with some private industrial ownership of the peripheral areas. Now known as the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC), the 2,600-acre industrial park that is home to various high-profile companies such as Lockheed Martin, Michelin, IBM, 3M, and others. It is one of six bases in the state that continue to be a problem for toxic military contamination and potential exposure impacts.

The following is a recent article about military contamination and the work by advocates…

Located just west of Cheyenne, F.E. Warren Air Force Base is a 6000+ acre facility that used to serve as an intercontinental ballistic missile operations base, among other uses. Past operations and disposal practices contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals on base and at some adjacent private residences.

George Air Force Base occupies 5,347 acres and is located in San Bernardino County, California near the cities of Victorville and Adelanto. The base was established in World War II and closed in December 1992. Its mission was to support tactical fighter operations and provided training for air crews and maintenance personnel. To meet mission requirements, the base engaged in a variety of support operations such as aircraft maintenance and fire fighting training that mandated the use and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous materials.

Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB) is a 20,000-acre site located on the northern end of the island of Guam. Since 1940, AAFB provides support for Strategic Air Command operations. Hazardous substances associated with AAFB operations include solvents such as trichloroethane (TCE) and paint thinners; dry cleaning fluids and laundry products; fuels such as JP-4 and gasoline; pesticides; antifreeze; aircraft cleaning compounds; and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953.  The base is located in Oscoda, Iosco County, Michigan. WAFB closed in 1993 and is gradually being turned over to the Oscoda Airport Authority for reuse as an industrial park and airfield (EPA 2012).  The 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east, Oscoda and Au Sable Townships to the east and south, the Huron National Forest (including wetlands associated with the Au Sable River) to the south, and the Au Sable State Forest to the north and west.  Lake Huron is less than one mile east of the site (ATSDR 2001).

Chanute AFB is back in the news this week. According to the latest report, officials have publicly stated that “it is known that chemical warfare training took place” on the base. They are now planning various searches and testing for leftover storage containers and will determine if any groundwater contamination occurred as a result.

The Griffiss Air Force Base (AFB) site is located in Rome, New York. The 3,552-acre base began operations in 1943 under the Air Combat Command and served as home to various Air Force operations over the years. On July 1, 1970, the 416th Bombardment Wing of the Strategic Air Command was activated with the mission of maintenance and implementation of both effective air refueling operations and long-range bombardment capability, but in 1993 and 1995, Griffiss AFB was designated for realignment under the Base Realignment and Closure Act which resulted in the deactivation of the 416th Bombardment Wing in September 1995.