Located in Des Moines County, near the city of Burlington, Iowa Army Ammunition Plant is one of the 720 military installations across the U.S. with known or suspected discharges of PFAS. It was established in November 1940 as Iowa Ordnance Plant, started to produce ammunition one year later, and in 1949, after World War II, it resumed its ammunition manufacturing mission.
Stemming from the use of AFFF, a highly toxic fire suppressant, by military firefighters, PFAS are often dubbed "forever chemicals," which means that they do not break down in the environment unless organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency take measures to remove them. Similarly, if they enter the body, PFAS cannot be eliminated, and their existence can lead to the development of serious diseases over the years.
In August 1989, Iowa Army Ammunition Plant was added to the National Priorities List. What prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to take this action was that explosives had caused surface water contamination beyond the installation boundary. In March 2020, an area of potential interest was identified within the OU-1 boundary, which is a fire training pit where military personnel used AFFF for firefighting training. Therefore, PFOA, PFBS, and PFOS, as well as other potential exposure pathways, need to be evaluated.
Out of the 4,700 or more chemicals belonging to this class, PFOS and PFOA are two of the most hazardous. At Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, the groundwater PFOS level is 620 ppt, which exceeds the safe exposure limit by 155 times. At the same time, the groundwater PFOA level is 110 ppt, according to the last tests performed by the Environmental Working Group, which is 27.5 times over the safe exposure limit.
Because they are so toxic, PFAS can lead to the development of countless diseases, the most terrible being cancer, which can affect multiple parts of your body, depending on where the highest concentration of these chemicals is located. Nevertheless, PFAS exposure can result in other serious health issues as well, which, in most cases, require long-term treatment. Here are all the diseases that exposure to PFAS is responsible for:
If you or one of your family members were stationed at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant for at least one cumulative year and now struggle with one of the above diseases, do not hesitate to contact the experienced team at Atraxia Law, who will promptly assess your case and let you know if you are entitled to financial compensation for your unjust suffering.
If you suffer from cancer or another health problem that might have been caused by PFAS exposure at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, we encourage you to reach out to our compassionate team, who will assist you with filing a toxic exposure claim so that you can benefit from the financial compensation you might be eligible for. The legal process will be easy, as we will make sure to handle the majority of the paperwork you need for your case.