K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base is a decommissioned U.S. Air Force base located south of the city of Marquette, Michigan. The military installation operated for almost 40 years and closed in 1995. The county airport, Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport, currently occupies a portion of the base and has airline flights and some general aviation activity.
According to the 2000 census, there were 1,443 people, 501 households, and 360 families residing in this census-designated place. Since K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base is known to be contaminated with PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," this is a truly alarming fact, as people continue to be exposed to these highly toxic agents. The latest available data from the Environmental Working Group shows that the water at the military installation contains tremendous concentrations of PFOS and PFOA, two of the most dangerous chemicals in this group. In 2018, the groundwater PFOS level was 2,070 ppt, eclipsing the safe exposure limit by 414 times, while the PFOA groundwater level was 57,900, exceeding the safe exposure limit by a whopping 14,475 times.
Today, veterans and family members who were stationed at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base and were diagnosed with a disease that might have been caused by PFAS exposure, can file a claim to obtain financial compensation. Still, one of the eligibility criteria is for them to have spent at least one cumulative year at the military base.
PFAS are a group of compounds that are made up of a long chain of carbon atoms bonded by fluorine. The fluorine-carbon link is one of the strongest chemical connections known, giving the molecules their "forever" moniker and allowing them to persist in the environment and the human body.
Service members stationed at contaminated military bases such as K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base were exposed primarily through ingestion of contaminated water, and epidemiological studies over the last decades have shown that PFAS levels are associated with cancer and other severe effects. Nonetheless, only the following diseases entitle you to file a claim for financial compensation:
Because exposure to PFAS may result in devastating illnesses, veterans and family members may file a toxic exposure claim to recover the financial compensation they deserve for their injuries. However, the assistance of an experienced attorney is the key to ensuring the success of the process.
If you were stationed at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base after the '60s, when AFFF started being used, and developed one of the diseases that might deem you eligible for compensation, we encourage you to reach out to our team, which specializes in toxic exposure cases. They will help you recover financial compensation for your suffering if your case can be pursued.
Similarly, if a member of your family who was stationed with you at this military installation developed a disease, they can also file a claim for compensation. If you meet all the eligibility criteria, we will put you in contact with a skilled PFAS attorney.