Griffiss Air Force Base

Griffiss Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force installation in Rome, Oneida County, in central New York. The facility traces its origins to the Rome Air Depot, activated in 1942, which provided aircraft engine maintenance and repair throughout World War II. Renamed in 1948 in honor of Lt. Col. Townsend Griffiss, the base later hosted Strategic Air Command B-52 bomber and air refueling operations, as well as the Rome Air Development Center, a major electronics research and development facility. The 3,552-acre installation was selected for realignment and closure under the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure process and ceased most operations in September 1995. Much of the property has since been redeveloped as the Griffiss Business and Technology Park and Griffiss International Airport.

Decades of aircraft maintenance, fuel handling, firefighting exercises, landfill operations and waste disposal at the base have raised concerns about carcinogenic health hazards at Griffiss Air Force Base, due to potential exposure to various environmental contaminants:

1. TCE: Trichloroethylene is an industrial solvent that was commonly used to degrease aircraft parts and equipment. Historical maintenance and disposal practices at Griffiss contaminated groundwater beneath the base with TCE. The substance is classified as a human carcinogen, and exposure has been associated with kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other health conditions.
2. Other chlorinated solvents: Dichloroethylene (DCE) and vinyl chloride, which can form as TCE breaks down in the environment, were also detected in groundwater at the site. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen, and exposure to these volatile organic compounds may potentially be linked to liver and other cancers.
3. PCBs: Polychlorinated biphenyls were once widely used in electrical equipment and hydraulic fluids. At Griffiss, PCBs were found in soil and in sediments of creeks on and around the base. PCBs are considered probable human carcinogens, and long-term exposure has been associated with a range of adverse health effects.
4. Heavy metals: Soil at the former base was contaminated with metals including lead, chromium and barium, attributed to maintenance, disposal and landfill operations. Certain heavy metals, particularly some forms of chromium, have been associated with elevated cancer risk, and lead exposure is linked to neurological and other health concerns.

The EPA added Griffiss Air Force Base to the Superfund National Priorities List in July 1987. Over more than two decades, the Air Force spent roughly $138 million on environmental cleanup, including connecting affected residents to municipal water, capping landfills, operating groundwater extraction and treatment systems, bioremediation and vapor intrusion mitigation. In April 2009, the EPA deleted approximately 2,900 acres of the former base from the list, while roughly 650 acres remain on the NPL as groundwater cleanup and long-term monitoring continue.

It's important to note that while there are concerns about potential exposure to contaminants at Griffiss Air Force Base, establishing definitive links between that exposure and specific illnesses in individual veterans can be complex. Research into the long-term health effects of these substances is ongoing. Veterans and family members who lived or worked at Griffiss are encouraged to stay informed about the cleanup, document their service history and consult the VA about health monitoring and any benefits for which they may be eligible.