Edwards Air Force Base
Base Background
Edwards Air Force Base is located in Kern County, CA, about 22 miles from Lancaster and 15 miles from Rosamond. It first opened in the 1930’s as a bombing range. The base then expanded as a flight center during World War II, running its first aircraft test in 1942. The base has since continued flight testing operations.
The 95th Air Base Wing currently operates the base, and there are 10,000 military personnel and family members living there. The base houses the 412th Test Wing, NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, and the United State Air Force Test Pilot School.
Known Toxins
The following chart outlines the toxins associated with this military location and the potential effects of exposure.* Various fuels and solvents were found on the base, including the following.
| Toxin | Potential Effects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong | Good | Limited | ||
| Perchloroethylene (PCE) | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | Potential Effects | Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis) | Scleroderma, Renal (kidney) cancer, Psychiatric disturbances, Lymphoma non Hodgkin's, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Decreased Coordination/ Dysequilibrium, Cirrhosis, Childhood Leukemias, Cardiac congenital malformations, Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA, Arrhythmias | Trigeminal neuropathy, Testicular cancer, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Raynaud's phenomenon, Prostate cancer, Peripheral neuropathy, Pancreatitis, Pancreatic cancer, Oral clefts (cleft lip and palate), Neural tube defects/CNS malformations, Nephrotic syndrome, Multiple myeloma, Lung cancer, Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age, Immune suppression, Hodgkin's Disease (lymphoma), Genitourinary malformations (includes cryptorchidism, hypospadias), Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Choanal atresia, Cervical cancer, Brain cancer adult, Adult-Onset Leukemias, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity, Acute tubular necrosis |
If you lived or worked on Edwards Air Force Base and have experienced 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.