The former Victorville Army Air Field/Victorville Air Force Base/George Air Force Base (George AFB) is a Superfund site and one of the most contaminated military bases in the country. From 1941 to 1992 (51 years), over 100,000 people were potentially exposed to unsafe levels of hazardous, toxic, and radioactive materials on and around George AFB. About 20,000 people lived in the surrounding community, and 80,000 worked, lived, and went to school on George AFB. Most military personnel and their families were forced to live on base because of the low pay, high rent, and limited off-base housing. The contamination caused numerous health issues for those stationed at or who lived near the base.
The Air Force/DoD was aware of the contamination, in some cases for decades, but failed to address the issue or inform those stationed at or living nearby of the potential health risks. When the Air Force/DOD suspected they had a problem, they had a moral and legal obligation to test the water supply and habitable structures. If the water supply or any building tested positive for unsafe levels of toxins, the Air Force/DOD was required by law to replace the water supply, condemn the building, relocate the occupants, and notify the current and former residents about their possible exposures. They did not.
The contaminants at the base caused significant harm to the base personnel and those living nearby, including some families who have lost up to seven children due to repeated and prolonged exposure to the numerous toxins. The effects of this exposure have been linked to congenital disabilities, miscarriages, stillbirths, infant mortalities, preterm births, low birth weights, and childhood cancers. This is because the developing fetus is especially vulnerable during the first 12 weeks (first trimester); during this time, all major organs and body systems are forming and can be damaged if exposed to toxic substances or radiation.
Because the Air Force/DoD will not acknowledge the nature and extent of the contamination and the completed exposure pathways (CEP), the Veterans Administration (VA) has denied thousands of veterans and their families medical care and compensation for their service-connected (SC) injuries. Additionally, the Air Force/DoD has fraudulently altered, falsified, and withheld medical records (evidence) we need for VA disability claims.
Regrettably, the redevelopment of the former George AFB puts a new generation at risk because the contamination still needs to be adequately disclosed and remediated.