U.S. Military operations involve the maintenance of machinery, weapons, systems, as well as vehicles and aircraft, actions that often involve the use of potent solvents and degreasers, many of which are toxic to humans.
These products, as well as similar substances, are extensively used across military installations, mostly comprising Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)—a class of organic chemicals that evaporate easily and are inhaled by military staff performing these actions. VOCs have both acute and chronic effects, leading to the development of temporary airway irritation and dizziness, and more significant diseases, such as neurological impairments and cancer.
The Department for Veterans Affairs (VA) provides compensation for toxic exposure claims under the PACT Act, covering over 20 diseases caused by a handful of recognized toxic agents. Notably, despite extensive VOCs exposure in military personnel, these substances are not included here. This leads to paradoxical situations where veterans exposed to recognized harmful substances are granted compensation, while those exposed to VOCs, developing the same condition, are denied.
Presently, despite well-documented evidence of disease causality, veterans exposed to VOCs need to undergo a complex legal and medical process to have their claim approved. As VOCs can cause time-sensitive diseases—such as cancers, for which access to healthcare is imperative for survival and recovery—disregarding VOCs from the PACT Act becomes a death sentence for many.
VOCs exposure in Clay County veterans
More than 1.4 million veterans reside in Florida, with nearly 28,000 of them living in Clay County. Given the proximity of this location to known contaminated military bases, veterans from this region may have served at Cecil Field Naval Air Station, a well-recognised site of VOCs exposure, and now a Superfund site monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA recognizes more than 200 VOCs. Among these are trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), both of which were identified at Cecil Field and are linked to several diseases, including cancer and organ failure. TCE and PCE were used extensively on aircraft parts, engines, and maintenance equipment for cleaning and degreasing purposes. Dry cleaning operations for military uniforms and servicing of electronic components also used TCE and PCE.
In addition to exposure during use, these toxic agents also contaminated groundwater at various military locations, including Cecil Field, through improper disposal and inadequate containment, resulting in widespread pollution of water sources for military personnel and their families stationed at these locations.
Veterans who served here may now face an increased risk of developing VOCs-related conditions, and as the PACT Act does not recognize VOCs, they are left on their own. In this context, including VOCs under the PACT Act is imperative, not only for justice but for providing veterans the support they need to access timely healthcare, compensation and long-overdue recognition of the toxic exposures they endured during service.
Getting VOCs included under the PACT Act
The VA follows an evidence-based process for expanding the list of diseases and toxic agents for which compensation is provided. Notably, this process encompasses not only a systematic and in-depth review of existing scientific literature but also an analysis of coexisting factors that can impact claims, including the availability of documented exposure or the potential to document this exposure, as well as other policy and funding aspects.
The PACT Act enabled the processing of more than 1.7 million claims within the first two years since its implementation. Of these, 1.1 million were approved, totaling $6.8 billion in compensation for veterans and their families. This is a record-breaking approval and processing rate for the VA, implying that the introduction of new agents may require even more funds, for which planning is first necessary.
In 2024, the VA submitted a request for a supplementation of its funds with $2.9 billion due to PACT Act compensations. According to the Office of Inspector General, the VA’s watchdog, carryover funds from the previous fiscal year were enough to cover these expenses; however, this does not exclude a funding crisis with more toxic agents included in the compensation list without proper planning.
Considering these aspects and the extent of VOCs exposure in the military, the VA should initiate review processes to analyze existing evidence for VOCs most commonly used on its bases. Concomitantly, financial planning to secure compensatory funds for veterans and their families who might have been exposed to these hazards is necessary to ensure adequate funding availability and integration of VOC claims within the current framework.
Jordan Cade is a toxic exposure attorney at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., where he provides legal support for impacted veterans and their families, including those who were stationed at NAS Cecil Field.
