US Air Force Orders Cleanup of Missile Silos Over Cancer Concerns

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • On Monday, the US Air Force (USAF) announced a cleanup will be undertaken at two launch facilities at Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB) in Montana where unsafe levels of a carcinogen have been detected, as cancer cases among those working at missile silos spike.1
  • A rash of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases at missile launch sites spurred a review in January, as at least 30 personnel stationed at missile sites have been diagnosed with the disease, including nine at Malmstrom AFB.2
  • The USAF had said "immediate measures" will be taken in response to environmental testing at Malmstrom AFB, where heightened levels of carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were detected. Two out of 300 surface samples had levels of PCBs above government guidelines, while all air samples came back negative.3
  • Reports from water and soil samples are forthcoming, as around 21K missileers are believed to have served at silos since the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program began in the 1960s. Around 268 individuals are reported to have suffered from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to an advocacy group.4
  • The American Cancer Society says non-Hodgkin's lymphoma only affects around 19 out of 100K Americans each year. The Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine is launching a study to see if the incidence among those in the missile community constitutes a cancer cluster.1
  • There are three bases with Minuteman III facilities: Malmstrom AFB, Wyoming's F.E. Warren AFB, and North Dakota's Minot AFB, with samples from the remaining two forthcoming. Those serving long hours on duty at the bases have long complained of aging technology, poor water quality, and poor ventilation.5

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2New York Daily News, 3FOX News, 4Al Jazeera, and 5CBS.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Air & Space Forces Magazine. The USAF is taking extensive steps to ensure the health and safety of those on the frontline of America's missile program, as copious samples are taken from every nook and cranny of the bases and silos. Only a handful of samples detected PCBs, as they were phased out many years ago, with a study underway to get to the bottom of cancer concerns. Nothing is more important that the health of the troops.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Washington Post. The Pentagon has long ignored the health risks those in the military face from exposure to toxins, and those who served in the missile program are no exception. In fact, it took a slideshow made individually by a servicemember to finally bring attention to the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in those who served, despite dozens of cases. These sad revelations just confirm what too many servicemembers and their family already knew.