Stewart Air National Guard Base

Stewart Air National Guard Base is a New York Air National Guard installation located in the Newburgh and New Windsor area of Orange County, New York, roughly 60 miles north of New York City. The site grew out of Stewart Airfield, which opened in 1934 as a training facility associated with the nearby United States Military Academy at West Point. The base today is home to the 105th Airlift Wing, whose lineage traces to the late 1940s and which relocated to the Stewart area in the 1980s. The wing operated the C-5 Galaxy for many years before converting to the C-17 Globemaster III around 2011, supporting strategic airlift missions. Like many military airfields, the base maintained fire and crash response capabilities that, in earlier decades, relied on aqueous film forming foam.

Concerns about potential exposure at Stewart center on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been associated with the use of firefighting foam on the installation. Two events are frequently cited in connection with the contamination: a reported 1990 release of several thousand gallons of foam from a hangar suppression system, and the use of foam during the response to a 1996 FedEx aircraft emergency. Runoff from the base has been linked to contamination of the City of Newburgh's drinking water supply.

1. AFFF refers to AFFF, the aqueous film forming foam historically used to suppress fuel fires at airfields. At Stewart, this foam was used in fire suppression systems and crash response, including the documented 1990 and 1996 incidents, and it has been identified as the primary source of the fluorinated compounds later found in area water. Concerns about potential exposure relate to the persistent chemicals these foams contain.
2. PFAS, or PFAS, are a large family of synthetic fluorinated chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. At Stewart, PFAS originating in firefighting foam are reported to have migrated into Recreation Pond, Silver Stream, and the surrounding groundwater. PFAS have been associated in some studies with a range of health concerns, though research into specific outcomes is ongoing.
3. PFOS, or PFOS, is a particular PFAS compound that was a major ingredient in older foam formulations. Sampling near the base, including stormwater outfalls feeding Recreation Pond, has reported elevated PFOS levels. PFOS has been the subject of health advisories and continuing study regarding potential exposure.
4. PFOA, or PFOA, is a related fluorinated compound commonly grouped with PFOS in discussions of foam-related contamination. PFOA has been referenced among the substances detected in the Newburgh watershed, and concerns about potential exposure have been raised alongside those for PFOS.

Cleanup at Stewart is overseen under the New York State Superfund Program rather than the federal National Priorities List. In May 2016, conditions at Newburgh's Washington Lake, the city's primary drinking water source since the 1850s, prompted a state of emergency, and the city shifted to alternative supplies including the Catskill Aqueduct. In August 2016, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation designated the base a Class 2 State Superfund site, indicating a significant threat warranting action, and identified the U.S. Department of Defense as a potentially responsible party. State-funded measures have included a granular activated carbon treatment system at the city's filtration plant, which became operational in early 2018, along with continued investigation and monitoring.

Veterans, civilian staff, and family members who spent time at Stewart Air National Guard Base may wish to stay informed as investigation and remediation continue. Those with questions about possible exposure are encouraged to review current information from the VA and to discuss any health concerns with their own medical providers, who can offer guidance tailored to individual circumstances.