Base Background
Located about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, the Adak Naval Air Station was established as a military base for the Army Air Corps during World War II. About 90,000 troops were present in the area at this time. In 1950, the U.S. Navy took over base operations. The military used the base as a submarine surveillance center during the Cold War. During this time, a portion of the island was allocated for the Navy, and the remainder was part of the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
In 1994, the U.S. government added the base to the National Priority List of contaminated sites. This was in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The base then closed in 1997.
Known Toxins
The following chart outlines the toxins associated with this military location and the potential effects of exposure.*
| Toxin | Potential Effects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong | Good | Limited | ||
| Chlorinated Solvents | Potential Effects | - | Childhood Leukemias, Adult-Onset Leukemias | - |
| Heavy metals (misc.) | Potential Effects | Pneumonitis hypersensitivity | - | Multiple myeloma |
| Polychlorinated Byphenyls (PCBs) | Potential Effects | Thyroid disorders Hypothyroidism, Porphyria toxic, Developmental Delay, Decreased I.Q../Mental retardation, Cirrhosis, Chloracne, Behavioral problems, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity | Peripheral neuropathy, Pancreatic cancer, Menstrual disorders, Lymphoma non Hodgkin's, Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age, Immune suppression, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, Delayed growth, Congenital malformation Cranio Facial, Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Bronchitis chronic, Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis), Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) | Testicular cancer, Reduced Fertility Female (infertility and subfertility), Parkinson's disease/Movement disorders, Hypoactivity, Hypertension, Hyperkeratosis/Hyperpigmentation, Hearing loss, Endometriosis, Diabetes Type I, Breast cancer, Bone cancer/Ewings sarcoma, Altered time to sexual maturation (accelerated or delayed puberty), Altered sex ratio |
Additional chemicals found at this site include chlorinated hydrocarbons and organic chemicals.
If you worked at the Anniston Army Depot, you may be eligible for compensation for medical conditions associated with toxic exposure.
*Effects are according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry unless otherwise noted.
