Suspicions are growing that a childhood leukemia cluster in Fallon, Nevada could be connected to environmental problems at the Fallon Naval Air Station. According to at least one report, children in Fallon are more than 100 times more likely to suffer from childhood leukemia than children in other parts of the country. Children and adults […]
Suspicions are growing that a <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Fallon-NV-Leukemia-Cancer-Cluster-Lawyers-Attorney-Lawsuit">childhood leukemia cluster in Fallon, Nevada could be connected to environmental problems at the Fallon Naval Air Station. According to at least one report, children in Fallon are more than 100 times more likely to suffer from childhood leukemia than children in other parts of the country. Children and adults in Fallon also have higher rates of other bone marrow disorders, including Myelodysplastic Syndrome and aplastic anemia.
Childhood leukemia and other bone marrow disorders are often the result of toxic exposures. According to residents of Fallon, Navy fighter pilots routinely dump excess fuel into the desert prior to landing at the air station. It is also known that the Fallon Naval Air Station is responsible for at least 26 toxic waste sites, 16 of them contaminated by jet fuel. JP-8 jet fuel, a combination of kerosene and benzene, is a known carcinogen, and has been linked to many of the ailments seen in Fallon.
The Navy has long disputed that the air station has anything to do with the childhood leukemia cluster in Fallon. But consider this: The ground beneath Fallon is playa – a dry lakebed over shallow groundwater. According to the US Geological Survey, several distinct plumes of jet fuel have entered the water table beneath the air base.
The Navy claims emergency jet fuel dumps are rare, occurring only about three times per year. However, Navy records show that in a single instance a few years ago more than 800 gallons was dumped into the Carson playa.
Jet fuel dumps aren’t the only environmental problems that have Fallon residents worried. There is also the question of a jet fuel pipeline that they claim is the source of frequent leaks, as well as some decades-old underground storage tanks that, according to one congressional report, have seriously corroded.
Radioactivity is also a concern in Fallon. A 1994 survey of groundwater in the Fallon area by the US Geological Survey showed that 31 or 73 drinking water wells had high concentrations of radioactive minerals. A possible source of the radiation could be depleted uranium expended by bombs and missiles at the Fallon bombing ranges.
It should also be noted that Fallon is not the only community in the country located near a military base where high incidences of leukemia have been reported. Several years ago, seven children in Sierra Vista, Arizona, which is adjacent to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, were diagnosed with the disease.
