Base Background
The former Alameda Naval Air Station is located in California’s Bay Area and makes up 2,806 acres of land. First commissioned in 1940, the base played a significant role at the start of World War II. The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred just one year after the base opened. As a naval air station, this location served as a base for military personnel, supplies, and machinery — all of which were transported to the Pacific through WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
The site is currently closed, as the EPA oversees multiple restoration sites. The EPA notes that two on-site landfills contained solid waste, and liquid waste was previously released into the Oakland Inner Harbor and Seaplane Lagoon. However, city officials are discussing plans to redevelop the site as part of the community in the future.
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 | ||
| Benzo A Pyrene | Potential Effects | Lung cancer | Skin cancer (nonmelanoma), Lung cancer, Immune suppression, Bladder cancer | Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility) |
| Cesium | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Chlordane | Potential Effects | - | Porphyria toxic, Peripheral neuropathy | Soft tissue sarcoma, Multiple Sclerosis, Lymphoma non Hodgkin's, Lung cancer, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Childhood Leukemias, Breast cancer, Aplastic anemia, Adult-Onset Leukemias |
| Chromium | Potential Effects | Skin ulceration, Nasopharyngeal/SinoNasal cancer, Nasal septal perforation, Nasal polyps, Bronchitis acute, Asthma allergic | Stomach cancer, Pulmonary fibrosis, Photosensitivity, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Chronic renal disease, Brain cancer adult, Acute tubular necrosis | Soft tissue sarcoma, Renal (kidney) cancer, Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Prostate cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Immune suppression, Esophageal cancer, Bladder cancer, Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA, Adult-Onset Leukemias, Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) |
| Cobalt | Potential Effects | Thyroid disorders Hypothyroidism, Hard metal disease, Cardiomyopathy, Asthma allergic | - | Soft tissue sarcoma, Sarcoidosis, Pancreatitis, Lung cancer, Arrhythmias |
| Dibenzo (A,H) anthracene | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Dieldrin | Potential Effects | - | - | Uterine cancer, Thrombocytopenia, Psychiatric disturbances, Parkinson's disease/Movement disorders, Lymphoma non Hodgkin's, Colorectal cancer, Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Breast cancer, Adult-Onset Leukemias |
| Heptachlor epoxide | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Pesticides/Insecticides | Potential Effects | Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Contact dermatitis Irritant, Contact dermatitis Allergic | Testicular cancer, Renal (kidney) cancer, Porphyria toxic, Photosensitivity, Parkinson's disease/Movement disorders, Myelodysplastic syndrome, Multiple myeloma, Childhood Leukemias, Bone cancer/Ewings sarcoma | Wilm's Tumor, Vasculitis, Thyroid disorders Hypothyroidism, Thyroid cancer, Thrombocytopenic purpura, Soft tissue sarcoma, Rheumatoid arthritis, Retinoblastoma, Pneumonia, Melanoma, Laryngeal cancer, Esophageal cancer, Congenital malformations general, Cirrhosis, Cervical cancer, Bronchitis chronic, Bronchitis acute, Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) |
| 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 |
| Radium | Potential Effects | - | - | Nasopharyngeal/SinoNasal cancer |
| Strontium | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Uranium | Potential Effects | Lung cancer | - | Chronic renal disease, Acute tubular necrosis |
If you were stationed or lived on the Alameda Naval Air Station and are experiencing adverse health effects, you may be eligible for compensation.
*Effects are according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry unless otherwise noted.
