Group raises alarm about asbestos still in family homes on Army bases.
The dangers surrounding widespread asbestos use throughout the 20th century are still being realized decades after the federal ban on most asbestos use in the United States. One prime example of this is the recent asbestos dangers uncovered in the United States Army.
Unfortunately, this realization shows how current military personnel, military veterans, and family members may have been exposed to asbestos in the comfort of their own homes. Here’s what you need to know about the latest news surrounding asbestos dangers in Army housing.
If you believe that you were exposed to asbestos, even as a child, speak to a healthcare provider about tests and screening to help diagnose lung-scarring and screen for asbestos-related diseases.
The Army’s Latest Asbestos Findings
A recent report released by the Army Times has given credence to what many people suspected already: numerous family housing units throughout Army bases in the United States remain sources of asbestos exposure in 2023. Internal auditors in the Army reported that military leadership has failed to ensure the safety of on-base housing with asbestos-containing materials. This issue is not unique to the Army or even the military at large, but it does remind us of just how pervasive asbestos continues to be in the present day.
Before the mid-1980s, nearly every building was constructed with asbestos-containing materials.
But how did so many family homes built on Army bases end up with asbestos-containing materials? The answer to this question is the same answer that helps explain the nationwide problem of asbestos. All construction performed in the United States prior to the 1980s took place before the Environmental Protection Agency placed bans on using asbestos in construction materials.
When we stop to think about the military bases in operation throughout the United States, many of them were established before the 1980s, which means that the homes built on those bases (along with virtually all structures on those bases) were constructed with asbestos-containing materials.
Demand for proper update and abatement of asbestos in homes on Army bases.
Because of this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many family homes on Army bases still contain asbestos, along with lead-based paint, according to the article. However, the troubling information has to do with the fact that many of these instances included virtually no safety mechanisms or quality assurance to ensure that these homes were safe for military families before residing in them. The report assessed this prevailing problem at three installations:
- Fort Cavazos, Texas
- Fort Liberty, North Carolina
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
“Some asbestos fibers may bypass…your body’s natural defenses…and lodge deep within your lungs. Those fibers can remain in place for a very long time and may never be removed.”
Source: American Lung Association
The Same Old Danger Throughout the Military
The geography of these examples shows that the problem is neither geographical nor is it entirely limited to the Army branch since Lewis-McChord includes the United States Air Force as well. In fact, it turns out that asbestos is nothing new for the Army, or any other branch of the military for that matter. Many military veterans are already aware of the sad reality of dealing with asbestos-related illnesses and diseases. Because of its fireproofing qualities and other durability factors, asbestos was relied upon to protect military vessels, weapons, and equipment throughout the military. Infamous “burn pits” at international duty stations and combat duty stations were used to get rid of excess waste and materials, many of which contained asbestos and dozens of other carcinogens.
As a result, those who spent their lives serving their country by self-sacrifice outlived their fellow servicemembers, only to return home and be diagnosed with a life-threatening disease due to asbestos exposure. What’s worse, the nature of asbestos being present throughout military bases meant that service members could spend the day working at the shipyard or on the flight deck with asbestos-containing materials, then unknowingly bring them home on their clothing and tools, putting their family at risk of secondhand exposure.
“Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after exposure.”
Source: National Cancer Institute (NIH)1
How Current Servicemembers and Families may be at Risk
It may be shocking to discover just how much this recent internal report demonstrates the lack of documentation, quality assurance, enforcement of safety protocols, and limited understanding that is admitted by the Army in this matter. In fact, if this situation were viewed in the analogy of the civilian world, with the Army as the renter and the military family as the tenant, the lack of evidence ensuring the safety of these families residing in homes with asbestos would certainly result in a wave of lawsuits. Unfortunately, it is unclear how many current and prior military families are even aware of this issue.
“The overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”
Source: National Cancer Institute (NIH)2
Army base residents came to learn about the asbestos and lead dangers in their homes they were living in.
It’s important to emphasize the problem one more time. In 2023, there are still numerous asbestos-containing homes on Army bases built for military families throughout the United States. Of those homes, many are repeatedly offered to families by the Army with no quality assurance or paper trail of documentation to determine whether these homes are safe to live in, due to the presence of asbestos, lead-based paint, and other carcinogens.
In other words, the children and spouses of service members are put at risk of developing life-threatening medical conditions in the comfort of their own homes, day after day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that mesothelioma cases, a disease caused almost entirely by asbestos exposure, has significantly increased in women over the last few years, a trend that will certainly continue to increase as long as things in the Army remain unchanged.
Health studies have shown that the families of asbestos workers are at an elevated level of risk for asbestos illnesses like lung cancer.3456
Compensation is available for Servicemembers and Family Members
Despite these sad findings and the feelings of betrayal that may be experienced by veterans and current service members, it’s important to know that compensation options exist to help those who suffer from an asbestos-related illness get the treatment they need. In fact, this is true even for those who have been exposed to asbestos secondhand, such as spouses and children who live in homes containing asbestos and have not been warned adequately of the dangers.
| Even lifelong smokers can collect compensation for asbestos damage. | |
| Many of our clients believed they weren’t eligible to file an asbestos lawsuit because they were cigarette and cigar smokers. This isn’t true under the laws of many states. Our database contains the medical evidence needed to show that smokers who are exposed to asbestos are far more likely to develop cancer than smokers who weren’t exposed to asbestos. Cigarettes and asbestos are far more dangerous than cigarettes or asbestos. |
Additional Asbestos Claims for Veterans
Special claim options exist for veterans, which can be done under a veterans disability claim related to asbestos exposure, as well. In many cases, compensation can be received without the need to file a lawsuit or go to court whatsoever, such as filing an asbestos trust fund claim. If you have any questions about this or you’re ready to take your next steps toward receiving compensation, contact us today. We’re here to serve you, just as you have served us!
1 National Cancer Institute (NIH), Asbestos Fact Sheet.
2 National Cancer Institute (NIH), Asbestos Fact Sheet.
3 Ferrante, D., Bertolotti, M., Todesco, A., Mirabelli, D., Terracini, B. and Magnani, C., 2007. Cancer mortality and incidence of mesothelioma in a cohort of wives of asbestos workers in Casale Monferrato, Italy. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(10), pp.1401-1405.
4 Miller, A., 2005. Mesothelioma in household members of asbestos‐exposed workers: 32 United States cases since 1990. American journal of industrial medicine, 47(5), pp.458-462.
5 Reid, A., Heyworth, J., De Klerk, N. and Musk, A.W., 2008. The mortality of women exposed environmentally and domestically to blue asbestos at Wittenoom, Western Australia. Occupational and environmental medicine, 65(11), pp.743-749.
6 İşten, B.H.S.T.O. and Maruziyetler, E.T., 2021. Exposures Moved from Work to Home as a Public Health Hazard.
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This post is news and commentary, provided for general information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.