Keesler Air Force Base
Biloxi, MS
Known Toxins5
Years of Operation1941-Present
Base Background
Keesler Air Force Base was established in 1941 and initially focused on bombing, gunnery, aerial training, and training radio operators for wartime communications. In 1947, the Radar School moved from Boca Raton, Florida, to Keesler. Since 1949, the base started focusing on electronics training and has been operating as one of Air Force’s primary technical training centers. Today it is home to the 81st Training Wing, the 2nd Air Force, and the 403rd Wing (an Air Force Reserve unit whose 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flies the well-known “Hurricane Hunter” missions).
Toxic Exposure at Keesler Air Force Base
Decades of fuel storage and firefighting operations at Keesler have left a documented record of contamination. In 1987, the removal of ten underground fuel storage tanks at Keesler’s Base Exchange service station revealed that one or more had been leaking gasoline into the surrounding soil and groundwater. Testing found total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in soil reaching 21,000 milligrams per kilogram, along with the BTEX compounds, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, measured as high as 166 milligrams per kilogram in soil and 22,400 micrograms per liter in groundwater, across a plume covering roughly four acres.
The site went through more than a decade of cleanup work, bioventing starting in 1993, then an in-well aeration system in 1996, before EPA Region 4 and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality approved long-term natural attenuation with ongoing groundwater monitoring as the final remedy in 1999. Anyone who served, worked, or lived at Keesler at any point across that period was potentially exposed to these compounds well before a related health condition might ever be diagnosed; toxic-exposure-linked illnesses often take years, sometimes decades, to surface.
PFAS
The Department of Defense has flagged Keesler for review under its nationwide per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) assessment program. Keesler’s preliminary site assessment wrapped up in mid-2021, and the Air Force is now required to move into a full remedial investigation.
If you developed a medical condition related to toxic exposure after living or working at or near the base, our VA disability lawyers may be able to help you obtain compensation. Get a free case evaluation to explore your legal 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 | ||
| Benzene | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | Myelodysplastic syndrome Multiple myeloma... Aplastic anemia |
Scleroderma Renal (kidney) cancer... Preterm delivery Menstrual disorders Lymphoma non Hodgkin's Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA Arrhythmias |
Peripheral neuropathy Neural tube defects/CNS malformations... Nasopharyngeal/SinoNasal cancer Lung cancer Immune suppression Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer) Cardiac congenital malformations Breast cancer Brain cancer adult Asthma irritant |
| Ethylbenzene | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | - | - | - |
| PFAS (Firefighting Foam) | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | - | - | Testicular cancer Renal (kidney) cancer... Prostate cancer |
| Toluene (BTEX compounds) | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | Fetal solvent syndrome/ Fetal Ethanol Syndrome Congenital malformation Cranio Facial |
Steatosis (fatty liver) Scleroderma... Reduced Fertility Female (infertility and subfertility) Menstrual disorders Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth) Developmental Delay Delayed growth Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span) Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA Arrhythmias Acute tubular necrosis Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis) |
Stomach cancer Peripheral neuropathy... Neurosthenia (Organic affective syndrome) Neural tube defects/CNS malformations Multiple myeloma Immune suppression Genitourinary malformations (includes cryptorchidism, hypospadias) Decreased Coordination/ Dysequilibrium Colorectal cancer Color vision disturbance Cirrhosis Brain cancer adult Asthma irritant Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis) Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) |
| Xylene | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | - | Scleroderma Menstrual disorders... Arrhythmias |
Stomach cancer Peripheral neuropathy... Delayed growth Colorectal cancer Brain cancer adult Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis) |
*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 and civilians who lived or worked at or near Keesler Air Force Base may be able to receive compensation if they developed health conditions associated with toxic exposure. This would require:
- Documenting the time spent at the base using service records and other documentation
- Gathering comprehensive medical evidence
- Obtaining expert medical opinions to establish a link between the diagnosed medical conditions and the toxic exposure
Our VA-accredited lawyers know what it takes to win a toxic exposure claim. Contact us for a free case evaluation: we specialize in disability law and work on a contingency basis, with no upfront fees.