Galena Air Force Station

Base Background

Galena Air Force Station, established in 1951, was located 6.4 miles southeast of Galena (approximately 45 miles east of Nulato, 270 miles west of Fairbanks, and 350 miles northwest of Anchorage), and is no longer operational. Originally built as an airfield during World War II, it later served as a base for the Pacific Air Force’s 611th Air Support Group (headquartered at Elmendorf AFB). All permanent military personnel and aircraft were withdrawn by 1993, leaving the base in caretaker status. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted to close the site, then known as the Galena Forward Operating Location, on August 25, 2005, and the Air Force was required to complete that closure and terminate all military activities there by September 15, 2011.

Toxic Exposure at Galena Air Force Station

The Air Force’s 2011 preliminary assessment identified more than 50 potentially contaminated sites at Galena, and Alaska’s environmental regulators continue to oversee cleanup of petroleum, solvents, and other hazardous chemicals left behind by decades of military fuel handling, vehicle maintenance, and firefighting operations.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), used to maintain vehicles, aircraft, ammunition, and electronics, contaminated soil and groundwater at multiple sites, including a dedicated TCE site along the airfield’s south apron and another along the west perimeter road.

PFAS Contamination

Due to the use of firefighting foam (AFFF), the site is heavily contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), putting those stationed there after 1967 at risk for serious health conditions. A 2016 preliminary assessment identified nine potential source areas for PFAS exposure, and a 2018 site inspection narrowed the priority list to five: the Fire Protection Training Area, two former fire stations, a vehicle maintenance facility, and the sanitary sewer system. The Department of Defense’s June 2026 update projects the broader cleanup effort at Galena will last through 2032.

Other Exposures

• Metals: leaded gasoline, aviation gasoline, and waste oils left metal contamination at sites across the former base.
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): electrical transformers at Galena’s facilities used PCB oil, and at least one former disposal site has confirmed PCB soil contamination.
• Pesticide contamination: DDT was documented in soil at a former vehicle maintenance site, and Alaska’s environmental regulators describe widespread, low-level pesticide residue across the airport consistent with historic area-wide insect-control spraying.
• Petroleum contamination: petroleum-based fuels, oils, lubricants, and antifreeze used for aircraft, vehicles, and heating left contamination across the former base, including crushed fuel drums documented along eroding banks of the Yukon River.

Anyone stationed at or working around Galena while these chemicals were in use on base could have been exposed without any way of knowing it at the time. A diagnosis tied to that exposure can be years or even decades after the actual exposure. If you developed a medical condition related to toxic exposure at Galena Air Force Station, our VA disability lawyers may be able to help you obtain compensation. Get a free case evaluation to explore your legal options.