Who qualifies

UPDATED FEB 2026

Military Base PFAS Contamination Lawsuit

Part of the PFAS Water Contamination investigation

The short answer

More than 700 U.S. military installations have confirmed PFAS contamination from decades of AFFF firefighting foam use. Veterans, active-duty service members, military families, and civilian base employees who lived or worked on contaminated installations and developed kidney cancer, testicular cancer, or thyroid disease may have substantial legal claims.

The DoD has confirmed contamination at bases in all 50 states.

People's Justice Research TeamUpdated February 21, 2026Fact-checked

Verified against court and regulatory records · No upfront fees · Your information is never sold

Free Case Review

Check your eligibility — free

Answer 2-3 quick questions to review your potential case.

Free · Confidential · About 2 minutes · A case specialist responds within 1 business day

Your answers are never sold or shared without your consent.

Why Military Bases Have the Worst PFAS Contamination in America

The U.S. military began using AFFF in the 1970s to suppress aircraft fuel fires, and military firefighting and crash rescue training involved regular, high-volume AFFF applications at airfields across the country and around the world. AFFF concentrate was stored in large quantities on base and mixed with water for training exercises conducted multiple times per year. Each training exercise soaked AFFF into the ground around airfield areas — fire training pits, crash response zones, and firefighting practice areas. Over decades of use, millions of gallons of PFAS-containing AFFF were discharged into the soil and groundwater of military installations. When the plumes of PFAS-contaminated groundwater migrated to the perimeter of bases and into surrounding neighborhoods, they contaminated private wells and municipal water systems serving military families and civilian communities alike.

Highest-Contamination Military Installations

Among the most severely contaminated U.S. military installations documented by DoD testing: Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska — PFOS levels of 334,200 ppt recorded in on-base monitoring wells, among the highest in the nation; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio — extensive PFAS plume contaminating private wells in Dayton-area communities; Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, CO — PFAS contamination affecting Colorado Springs municipal water; NAS Pensacola and Eglin AFB, Florida — PFAS plumes affecting Gulf Coast communities; Pease Air National Guard Base, Portsmouth, NH — the first publicly confirmed military PFAS contamination site (2014) and the basis of early advocacy efforts; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma, WA — PFAS plume affecting Tacoma-area residents; Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, CO — additional contamination in the Colorado Springs corridor; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC — PFAS contamination in addition to the historic solvent contamination already compensated under separate federal law; Vance AFB, Enid, OK — contamination affecting Enid municipal water supply.

Who Can File — Veterans, Families, and Civilians

Military base PFAS claimants include: active-duty service members and veterans who lived on base and consumed PFAS-contaminated tap water; military spouses and dependents (children) who lived in on-base housing and drank contaminated water; civilian DoD employees who worked on contaminated installations; civilian residents of communities adjacent to military bases whose wells or municipal water systems were contaminated by PFAS plumes; and former residents who lived near military bases for several or more years before the contamination was disclosed. Note: PFAS personal injury claims for military-related exposure are filed in MDL 2873 and are distinct from Camp Lejeune toxic water claims, which are governed by the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 and filed under a separate legal framework.

Dive deeper

Related Guides

11 GUIDES

The full investigation

Part of the PFAS Water Contamination Investigation