As a former U.S. Marine Corps Air Station, this military base was located near the community of El Toro, in close proximity to Irvine, California. Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was built in 1942 and was operational until 1999. Before decommission, it used to cover approximately 4,682 acres and was the home of Marine Corps aviation on the West Coast. The military base was designed as a Master Jet Station, which means that it could handle the largest aircraft in the U.S. by virtue of the 4 runways it had.
Sadly, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro is one of the numerous military installations in the country that are heavily contaminated with PFAS, some chemicals that are extremely toxic. While they no longer pose a danger, since the military base is closed, people who were stationed there after 1966 were most likely exposed to these harmful substances.
Regrettably, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro left behind a toxic legacy after it was closed, as the concentration of PFAS in the environment of the military base was found to be 3,826 parts per trillion, which greatly exceeds the permissible limit of 70 parts per trillion set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Currently, PFOS and PFOA are the most studied chemicals from the PFAS group.
Their level on the premises of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro is also much higher than 40 parts per trillion for PFOS and 10 parts per trillion for PFOA, which is the legal limit in California when it comes to PFAS. Consequently, having spent time on this military base places members of the military and their families at high risk of developing severe health problems.
In 1990, the military base was deemed a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency as a result of the huge extent of contamination present on the site. PFAS were the primary contaminant of concern that was lurking on Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, and their source was the use of AFFF, a fire suppressant, by military firefighters and trainees for putting out petroleum and jet fuel fires. While very effective, AFFF has a major problem, namely that it contains a great amount of PFAS that, once released in the environment, do not break down and remain there forever. However, the Environmental Protection Agency is making efforts to clean up the military base.
To worsen the degree of toxic exposure among members of the military who were stationed there, other hazardous agents were found to be present at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro by the Environmental Protection Agency, some of the most dangerous being the following:
Naturally, the presence of so many contaminants, all of which have a strong link to multiple cancers, worsened the extent of toxic exposure among members of the military who had to spend time there between 1966, when AFFF started being used, and 1999, when the military base was closed. Accordingly, if you were stationed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro during this period of time, we strongly advise you to keep a close eye on your health and to undergo periodical medical examinations, as a timely diagnosis can save your life.
There are numerous health issues exposure to PFAS, as well as to the other contaminants present on Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, can cause, the most terrible being cancer, which can occur on various parts of the body, depending on where the highest concentration of these chemicals is located. Nevertheless, in addition to cancer, PFAS exposure is also responsible for other acute or chronic health problems that require immediate treatment. These are all the diseases that have a definitive connection with exposure to PFAS:
If you received one of these diagnoses, please contact us, as we specialize in toxic exposure and can easily help you recover compensation for your physical and emotional distress from the liable AFFF manufacturers.
Whether you are a member of the military, a veteran, or a family member of one, if you fell ill as a result of PFAS exposure that occurred while you were staying at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, you are most likely eligible for compensation. Therefore, we highly encourage you to give us a call, as the legal process will be easy to navigate for you.
After a complete review of your case, we will determine if you qualify for filing a claim. If you do, a skilled PFAS attorney will start preparing it for submission along with the other necessary documents.
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