U.S. Nuclear Missile Bases Under Investigation for Cancer Risks

The U.S. Air Force is investigating nuclear missile bases for asbestos and other potentially cancer-causing materials. The Associated Press recently revealed that the issues date as far back as the late 1980s. Reports prove that the Air Force has been aware of toxic chemicals at nuclear launch silos for decades.  Air Force documents reveal details about several leaks and spills at missile bases across the country over the course of several years. Records describe repeated spills or leaks affecting service members working at the sites. The documents reveal internal reports of asbestos leaks at missile silos in 1989, as well as asbestos issues labeled “priority” from 1992. Some missile bases found asbestos readings to be 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards.  One incident from 1987 caused personnel to experience headaches and nausea after a polychlorinated biphenyls leak. PCBs are a group of human-made chemical compounds once used in consumer and industrial products that the U.S. has now banned. The Air Force is now working to get an official count to find out exactly how many current and former service members who work with missiles have cancer. They’re expected to release that  data later in 2024. The AP reported in January 2023 that at least 9 current or former nuclear missile officers or missileers were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  “It’s frustrating to know they had thought of this back then...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Air Force Asbestos (general) Asbestos Exposure Cancer (Non-Meso) Source Type: news