Peterson Space Force Base

Peterson Space Force Base is a United States Space Force installation located near Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado. The site began as Colorado Springs Army Air Base in 1942 and was renamed Peterson Field later that year in honor of 1st Lt. Edward J. Peterson, a local pilot killed in a crash on the field. Over the following decades it served as a hub for air defense and space operations, hosting the 21st Space Wing and, today, Space Base Delta 1, which supports North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Space Command. The installation was redesignated from Peterson Air Force Base to Peterson Space Force Base in July 2021. As an Air Force and later Space Force facility, the base maintained firefighting and emergency response operations for many years.

Environmental investigations have raised concerns about potential exposure to certain chemicals associated with past firefighting and maintenance activities at the installation. The contaminants below have been documented in connection with the base or the surrounding community, and each carries hedged health concerns that researchers continue to study.

1. AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam): AFFF is a firefighting foam used to suppress petroleum-based fires. At Peterson, AFFF was used for decades in fire suppression and training exercises dating back to roughly the 1970s, and runoff is understood to have carried its chemicals into soil and groundwater. Because AFFF is regarded as the main source of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds found in the area, it has been associated with concerns about long-term contamination of nearby water supplies.
2. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances): PFAS are a large family of synthetic chemicals, sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they break down very slowly. AFFF used at Peterson is believed to have introduced PFAS into groundwater that reached the Security, Widefield, and Fountain drinking water supplies, with PFAS first detected in nearby municipal wells around 2013. One well showed levels reported at about 1,370 parts per trillion, and on-base groundwater levels were reported as high as roughly 88,000 parts per trillion. PFAS exposure has been associated in some studies with effects on cholesterol, the immune system, and certain cancers.
3. PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate): PFOS is one of the individual PFAS compounds historically present in firefighting foam. It was among the substances detected in groundwater and area wells linked to Peterson. A CDC and ATSDR exposure assessment of Security-Widefield residents measured PFAS in participants' blood; that assessment found certain compounds, including PFOA, above national averages, while reported PFOS levels were not elevated relative to the national population. PFOS has been associated with potential effects on the liver, thyroid, and immune function.
4. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid): PFOA is another PFAS compound connected to legacy foam use. The same CDC and ATSDR assessment reported PFOA in residents' blood at levels somewhat above national averages, consistent with exposure through the affected drinking water. PFOA has been associated with concerns about kidney and testicular cancers and other health effects, though research is ongoing.

Peterson Space Force Base is not listed on the National Priorities List as a federal Superfund site. Cleanup has proceeded under the Department of Defense environmental restoration program in coordination with the U.S. Air Force, which has reported spending tens of millions of dollars on water treatment and related efforts. Municipal water providers in Security and Widefield took contaminated wells offline and added treatment by 2016, and the ATSDR has reported that the public drinking water supply currently meets or falls below the EPA 2016 health advisory. The base also hosts a PFAS treatment proving ground, where several experimental destruction technologies are being demonstrated under a Department of Defense program.

Veterans and family members who lived or served at Peterson are encouraged to stay informed about ongoing testing and remediation in the area and to keep records of their service history. Those with questions about possible exposure may wish to consult the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and their own health care providers to discuss screening and any benefits for which they may be eligible.