Minot Air Force Base

Minot Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force installation located about 13 miles north of the city of Minot, North Dakota. The base was established in 1957 during the Cold War buildup of bomber and missile forces, and the first B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived in the early 1960s. Today Minot is the only Air Force installation that hosts two nuclear-capable wings: the 5th Bomb Wing, which operates B-52H bombers, and the 91st Missile Wing, which operates Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. As a long-running strategic base, Minot has supported decades of flight operations, aircraft maintenance, and emergency response training.

As with many military airfields, concerns have been raised about potential exposure to environmental contaminants connected to past operations at Minot. A Department of Defense investigation identified contamination associated with the historical use of firefighting foam, and the Air Force has continued to evaluate the site. The contaminants described below have been documented in connection with the installation.

1. PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of synthetic chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. At Minot Air Force Base, PFAS were introduced largely through firefighting activities involving fuel fires. These chemicals are persistent in the environment, and exposure has been associated in some studies with a range of potential health effects, prompting ongoing concern and study.
2. PFOS: PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) is one of the most studied individual PFAS compounds and was a common ingredient in older firefighting foams. Reporting on Minot has described combined PFOA and PFOS levels of roughly 453,000 parts per trillion in soil and groundwater beneath the base. PFOS has been associated in research with possible effects on the immune system and other concerns, though findings continue to be evaluated.
3. PFOA: PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) is another individual PFAS compound that has drawn attention because of its persistence and the difficulty of removing it from water. At Minot it has been reported alongside PFOS as part of the combined contamination figure documented in soil and groundwater. Exposure to PFOA has been associated in some studies with potential health concerns that remain the subject of continued research.
4. AFFF: AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) is the firefighting foam historically used at military airfields to suppress fuel fires during emergencies and training exercises. Older AFFF formulations contained PFAS, including PFOS and PFOA, and decades of AFFF use at Minot are described as the primary source of the PFAS found in the base's soil and groundwater. Concerns about potential exposure stem from the way these foam chemicals can move into and persist in the environment.

Minot Air Force Base is not listed on the National Priorities List of federal Superfund sites. Investigation and oversight have proceeded through the Department of Defense environmental program in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. State officials have noted that the Department of Defense was still working to understand the full extent of the contamination, and the Air Force has continued to evaluate the site rather than completing a final cleanup. A 2018 state study detected PFAS in the city of Minot's drinking water at low levels that did not exceed the federal health advisory in place at that time.

Veterans, family members, and others who lived or worked at Minot Air Force Base may wish to stay informed as investigation and monitoring continue. Anyone with questions about possible exposure or related health matters is encouraged to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a qualified medical provider, who can offer guidance based on individual circumstances.