This story, part of a series of investigative reporting projects by Military.com on service member and veteran health, was supported by the Pulitzer Center. You can read our first story on missileer cancer worries here.
The Air Force has deemed Vandenberg Space Force Base in California free of certain potentially dangerous contaminants following a study prompted by concerns over rising cancer rates and exposure to carcinogens among service members who work with America's nuclear missiles.
The findings, released publicly Monday, “found no instances of contamination above regulatory action levels” after testing for polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, and volatile organic compounds that are believed to have negative health effects, Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement. The Space Force base conducted surface testing and air sampling as part of the study.
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Vandenberg, alongside America's three intercontinental ballistic missile bases — Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming — have all undergone testing for potential contaminants that could be linked to an alarming number of illnesses such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and blood cancers being reported among the U.S. military's missileers and maintainers.
“Ensuring the most comprehensive assessment of…
