Ellsworth Air Force Base

Ellsworth Air Force Base sits about ten miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, beside the town of Box Elder. The installation opened in 1942 as Rapid City Army Air Base, where crews trained on B-17 Flying Fortress bombers during World War II, and it was renamed in 1953 in honor of Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth. During the Cold War the base supported Strategic Air Command bombers and missile operations, and since 1987 its host 28th Bomb Wing has flown the B-1B Lancer bomber, making Ellsworth one of the Air Force's two B-1B wings.

Decades of flight operations, aircraft maintenance, waste disposal, and firefighter training have left a documented legacy of environmental contamination at Ellsworth. The Environmental Protection Agency added the base to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1990 after solvents and fuels were found in soil and groundwater connected to former landfills and fire protection training areas. A separate concern emerged when PFAS compounds linked to firefighting foam were detected in groundwater on base in 2011 and in off-base private drinking wells by 2016. Veterans, family members, and civilian workers may have questions about potential exposure to the following documented contaminants.

1. PFAS: PFAS are man-made chemicals, sometimes called forever chemicals, that resist breaking down in the environment. At Ellsworth, PFAS originated largely from firefighting foam and migrated into groundwater, with a plume estimated at roughly 25 miles long and soil and groundwater readings reported as high as 551,000 parts per trillion. Some studies have associated PFAS exposure with certain cancers, immune system effects, and other health concerns.
2. PFOS: PFOS is one of the most studied PFAS compounds and a key ingredient in older firefighting foams used at the base. It was detected in on-base groundwater and in nearby private wells, and research has linked elevated PFOS exposure to potential thyroid, liver, and immune effects.
3. PFOA: PFOA, a closely related compound, was also documented in groundwater near Ellsworth. Testing found that 22 of 112 sampled private wells exceeded EPA lifetime health advisory levels for PFOA and PFOS, and PFOA exposure has been associated in some research with kidney and testicular cancer.
4. AFFF: AFFF, or aqueous film forming foam, was used for decades at Ellsworth fire training areas and in emergency responses to suppress fuel fires. The foam is the documented source of the base's PFAS contamination, and concerns center on firefighters and others who handled it directly.
5. TCE: TCE (trichloroethylene) is a degreasing solvent historically used in aircraft maintenance. It was among the principal contaminants that led to the base's Superfund listing, and the EPA classifies TCE as carcinogenic to humans.
6. Solvents: Other chlorinated solvents and related volatile organic compounds were used in maintenance shops and disposed of in base landfills, contributing to the groundwater plumes that drove early cleanup work. Long-term exposure to such solvents has been associated with a range of potential health effects.

Cleanup at Ellsworth has been under way since the 1990 listing. The EPA removed the above-ground portions of the site from the list in 2012, while groundwater treatment, monitoring, and periodic five-year reviews continue. To address PFAS, the Air Force has funded bottled water deliveries, residential treatment systems for affected homes, and a $12.5 million pipeline project that brings Rapid City municipal water to properties with impacted wells near Box Elder.

Anyone who served or lived at Ellsworth and has concerns about past exposure may find it helpful to keep records of their time on base, follow EPA and Air Force cleanup updates, and discuss health questions with the Department of Veterans Affairs or a qualified medical provider.