Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base

Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation near Lockbourne, just south of Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio. It was built during World War II as Lockbourne Army Airfield and became Lockbourne Air Force Base in 1948. During the 1950s and 1960s the base hosted strategic reconnaissance, bombardment, and air refueling missions, operating aircraft such as the B-47 Stratojet, the KC-97, and later the KC-135 Stratotanker. In 1974 it was renamed Rickenbacker Air Force Base for Columbus native and World War I fighter ace Eddie Rickenbacker, and on April 1, 1980 it transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard. Today the 121st Air Refueling Wing is the host wing, flying KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft alongside the co-located Rickenbacker International Airport.

Like many long-operating military airfields, Rickenbacker has documented contamination tied to decades of aircraft operations, fuel handling, maintenance, and firefighting. Sampling beginning in the late 1980s found contaminants in soil and groundwater, and the base has more recently been associated with concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The contaminants of concern documented at the site include the following.

1. PFAS are a large family of synthetic compounds, sometimes called forever chemicals because they resist breaking down. At Rickenbacker they are linked primarily to aqueous film-forming foam used in fire training and emergency response. PFAS exposure has been associated in some studies with concerns about the immune system, cholesterol, and certain cancers, though research is ongoing.
2. PFOS is one of the most studied PFAS compounds and was a common ingredient in older firefighting foams. It has been reported among the PFAS detected in connection with the installation, and federal agencies have worked to phase it out.
3. PFOA is another widely studied PFAS compound found in legacy foam formulations and industrial products. It is among the substances of concern at sites where foam was used.
4. AFFF, or aqueous film-forming foam, is the firefighting foam historically used to extinguish fuel fires at airfields, including during training. Its repeated use is the primary documented source of PFAS at the base, with concerns about how those compounds migrate into soil and groundwater.
5. TCE, or trichloroethylene, is a chlorinated solvent commonly used to degrease metal parts. TCE and its breakdown products were identified as primary contaminants of concern in onsite monitoring wells. TCE exposure has been associated with concerns about effects on the liver, kidneys, and immune system, as well as certain cancers.
6. Jet fuel and petroleum-related solvents were used and stored in large quantities to support flight operations. Benzene and other petroleum-related compounds have been documented in groundwater at the site. Long-term exposure to certain fuel and solvent components has been associated with a range of health concerns.
7. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were used in electrical equipment and lubricants before being banned. They are listed among the contaminants identified at the site and persist in the environment.

Rickenbacker is not listed on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. Cleanup is carried out under the Air Force environmental restoration program with oversight from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Since 2011 the Air Force has used performance-based contracting to revisit earlier cleanup decisions, in some cases reopening previously closed areas and working toward unrestricted-use standards, while institutional controls remain in place. Investigation and monitoring of groundwater and PFAS concerns are ongoing.

Veterans, civilian employees, and family members with questions about possible exposure at Rickenbacker are encouraged to stay informed as new information becomes available. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers resources on military environmental exposures, and those with concerns may wish to discuss their service history with the VA or a healthcare provider.