Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex
Devens, MA
Known Toxins2
Years of Operation1942-1995
Base Background
The Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex was established in 1942, when the Army acquired roughly 2,300 acres in Sudbury, Massachusetts, by eminent domain for ammunition storage, ordnance testing, troop training, and laboratory-waste disposal. The site operated as a training annex administered under the main Fort Devens post, roughly 15 miles to the northwest, until the Army began transferring the land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000. Most of the former annex reopened in 2005 as the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, though the Army retains responsibility for ongoing environmental investigation on portions of the site.
Toxic Exposure at Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex
The Environmental Protection Agency placed the Sudbury Training Annex on its National Priorities List in 1990 and removed it in 2002 after cleanup was completed, but per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination discovered years later remains under active investigation today.
Historic contamination includes arsenic and thallium in the soil at Area A9, one of the site’s former ordnance and waste-disposal areas. In 1985, a transformer on site was struck by a bullet and leaked an estimated 100 to 200 gallons of PCB-contaminated oil onto the ground.
PFAS Exposure
The Army has detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater at two former areas of contamination on the site (A9 and P13), with at least one well exceeding Massachusetts’ 20 parts-per-trillion maximum contaminant level. A remedial investigation into the full extent of that contamination was underway as of March 2025, and the Department of Defense expects, per its June 2026 status update, that the work will last until 2044.
Anyone who worked at or passed through the Sudbury Training Annex before its 2000 transfer could have been exposed to these chemicals without realizing it at the time, and related conditions often don’t surface until years or decades later. If this happened to you or a loved one, our VA disability lawyers may be able to assist in obtaining compensation. Get a free case evaluation to explore your options.
Known Toxins
The following chart outlines the medical conditions associated with toxic exposure at this base, classified by the strength of evidence required (strong, good or limited).* Please keep in mind that it is not a complete list.
| Toxin | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong | Good | Limited | ||
| Arsenic | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | Peripheral neuropathy Hyperkeratosis/Hyperpigmentation... Diabetes Type II Coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis |
Steatosis (fatty liver) Skeletal malformations... Renal (kidney) cancer Raynaud's phenomenon Pneumonitis hypersensitivity Neural tube defects/CNS malformations Nasal septal perforation Myocardial ischemia Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age Hypertension Hepatoportal Sclerosis Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth) Congenital malformations general Cirrhosis Cardiomyopathy Bladder cancer Arrhythmias Anemia hemolytic Alopecia Adult-Onset Leukemias |
Neurosthenia (Organic affective syndrome) Myelodysplastic syndrome... Metal fume fever Immune suppression Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer) Genitourinary malformations (includes cryptorchidism, hypospadias) Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span) Acute tubular necrosis |
| Thallium | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | Peripheral neuropathy |
Alopecia |
Psychiatric disturbances Menstrual disorders |
*Effects are according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry unless otherwise noted.
Paths to Compensation
Veterans who spent time at or near the Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex may be able to receive compensation and other disabled veterans benefits for health conditions connected to toxic exposure there. This would require:
- Documenting the time spent at the base
- Gathering comprehensive medical evidence
- Obtaining expert medical opinions to establish a link between the disabilities and the toxic exposure
Our VA-accredited lawyers have the experience to build a strong toxic exposure claim. Reach out for a free evaluation: we handle disability law on a contingency basis, so there are no upfront fees for you.