Updated: September 29, 2026
The former Victorville Army Airfield, later known as Victorville Air Force Base and 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, a period of 51 years, more than 100,000 people may have been exposed to unsafe levels of hazardous, toxic, and radioactive materials on and around George AFB. Approximately 20,000 people lived in the surrounding community, while an estimated 80,000 individuals worked, lived, or attended school on the base. Many military personnel and their families had to live on base due to low pay, high rents, and limited off-base housing. Contamination was associated with numerous health problems among personnel stationed at the base and nearby residents.
The Air Force and the Department of Defense (DoD) were aware of the contamination, in some cases for decades, but failed to address it or inform individuals stationed at the base or residing nearby of the potential health risks. Once the Air Force or DoD suspected a problem, they had a moral and legal obligation to test the water supply and habitable structures. If testing revealed unsafe toxin levels in the water or in any building, they were required by law to replace the water supply, condemn the building, relocate its occupants, and notify current and former residents of potential exposure. They did not.
Contaminants at the base harmed personnel and nearby residents. Some families have lost as many as seven children following repeated, prolonged exposure to numerous toxins. Exposure has been associated with birth defects, miscarriages, stillbirths, infant deaths, preterm births, low birth weights, and childhood cancers. Developing fetuses are particularly vulnerable during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when major organs and body systems form and may be harmed by toxic substances or radiation.
Because the Air Force and the Department of War (DoW) have not acknowledged the nature and extent of the contamination or the completed exposure pathways (CEPs), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has denied thousands of veterans and their families access to medical care and compensation for service-connected (SC) injuries. The Department of Defense (DoD) has also fraudulently altered, falsified, and withheld medical records required for VA disability claims. The DoW failed to notify veterans and their family members from George Air Force Base and Fort McClellan that they had been exposed to hazardous materials.
Regrettably, the redevelopment of the former George AFB places a new generation at risk, as the contamination has not been fully disclosed or remediated.