Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a U.S. Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks in Pulaski County, in south-central Missouri. The post was established in December 1940 as part of the Army's pre-World War II mobilization and was named in honor of General Leonard Wood, a former Army Chief of Staff. Originally intended for infantry training, it became an engineer training post in 1941 with the creation of the Engineer Replacement Training Center. Today, Fort Leonard Wood is home to the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, which trains Army engineers, military police, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialists, and it remains one of the Army's largest Basic Combat Training sites.

There are concerns about potential carcinogenic health hazards at Fort Leonard Wood, due to documented releases of several environmental contaminants over the installation's history:

1. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they break down very slowly in the environment. At Fort Leonard Wood, the primary source of PFAS was aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) used for decades at firefighting training areas and at the former Forney Army Airfield. The Army's Preliminary Assessment and Site Inspection documented PFOS, PFOA, PFBS and PFHxS in groundwater, and several of these compounds were also detected in drinking water sources; the installation draws most of its water from a surface intake on the Big Piney River along with on-post wells. Exposure to certain PFAS compounds has been associated in some studies with kidney and testicular cancer and other health effects, and a PFAS remedial investigation is ongoing.
2. Solvents contaminated groundwater beneath the cantonment area as a result of past operations at the former post dry cleaning facility. According to EPA and Missouri Department of Natural Resources records, tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was the primary cleaning solvent, and trichloroethylene (TCE) spills also reportedly occurred at the facility, leaving a chlorinated solvent plume in groundwater. TCE is classified by the EPA as a known human carcinogen, and PCE as a likely human carcinogen, so there are concerns about potential exposure for those who lived or worked nearby. Contaminated soil has been removed at the site and groundwater monitoring continues.
3. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are industrial chemicals that were widely used in electrical transformers and other equipment before being banned in 1979. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources documents releases of PCBs at Fort Leonard Wood, along with petroleum, pesticides, metals and munitions constituents at various sites, including inactive landfills, a former pesticide storage and mixing facility, and closed firing ranges. PCBs are classified as probable human carcinogens, and exposure may potentially be linked to certain cancers.

Fort Leonard Wood is not listed on the EPA's National Priorities List (Superfund). Instead, investigation and cleanup are managed under the Army's Installation Restoration Program and Military Munitions Response Program, with oversight from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Remedies such as the one selected for the former dry cleaner site have followed the CERCLA process, and several landfills have been closed while other sites remain under investigation.

Establishing definitive links between service at Fort Leonard Wood and specific illnesses is scientifically complex, and research into PFAS, solvents and other contaminants is still evolving. Veterans and family members who spent time at the installation may wish to stay informed about ongoing investigations, document their service history, and speak with the VA about health screenings and any benefits for which they may be eligible.