Joint Base Andrews (Naval Air Facility Washington)

Joint Base Andrews is an active joint installation in Prince George's County, Maryland, near Camp Springs, that has been in operation since 1942. The base combines the former Andrews Air Force Base with Naval Air Facility Washington, bringing together Air Force and Navy aviation missions on a single site. It is widely known as the home of the presidential aircraft, commonly referred to as Air Force One, and it supports worldwide airlift for senior domestic and foreign officials. Over its long history the base has hosted flight operations, aircraft maintenance, and fire training activities. Decades of these operations have left a legacy of soil and groundwater contamination that is now the focus of federal cleanup work.

Environmental investigations at the installation date back to the 1980s, and the Air Force, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Maryland Department of the Environment have identified numerous areas of concern across the property. Among the most studied issues are concerns about potential exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances linked to the long-term use of firefighting foam at fire training areas and related sites. The contaminants below have been documented in connection with the base.

1. PFAS: PFAS is a large family of synthetic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that resist heat, water, and oil and break down very slowly in the environment, which is why they are sometimes called forever chemicals. At Joint Base Andrews, PFAS entered soil and groundwater largely through the use of firefighting foam in training and emergency response. These compounds have been associated in some studies with a range of health concerns, and questions about long-term exposure remain under active investigation.
2. PFOS: PFOS is one of the most studied individual PFAS compounds and was a key ingredient in older firefighting foams. Groundwater sampling at the base, including in the Brandywine area, has reported PFOS at levels that exceeded EPA lifetime health advisory thresholds. Research has examined possible associations between PFOS exposure and certain health effects, and the topic continues to be evaluated.
3. PFOA: PFOA is another well known PFAS compound that has been detected alongside PFOS in groundwater connected to foam use at the installation. Reported concentrations of PFOA were found to exceed EPA advisory levels in some samples. PFOA has been associated with potential health concerns in scientific literature, though investigation of exposure pathways at the base is ongoing.
4. AFFF: AFFF, or aqueous film-forming foam, is a firefighting agent historically used to suppress fuel fires and was a primary source of the PFAS compounds described above. At Joint Base Andrews, AFFF was used at fire training areas where it could soak into the ground and reach groundwater. Because AFFF formulations contained PFAS, concerns about potential exposure from past foam use are central to the remedial investigation.

Andrews Air Force Base was added to the National Priorities List, the federal Superfund program's roster of priority sites, in 1999. The Air Force and EPA have identified numerous sites requiring remedial investigation and feasibility study, including landfills and fire training areas, and long-term remedies have been selected for some areas while investigations continue at others. A dedicated remedial investigation focused on PFAS has been underway, and the cleanup remains subject to ongoing federal review.

Veterans, family members, and others who lived or worked at Joint Base Andrews may wish to stay informed as cleanup work and PFAS investigations continue. Anyone with questions about possible exposure and related benefits is encouraged to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and to keep track of updates from the agencies involved.