Texas is home to one of the largest concentrations of military personnel and installations in the United States, and for decades those bases relied on Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) as the standard firefighting agent for aircraft fuel emergencies. AFFF contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - persistent synthetic chemicals that accumulate in body tissue over time and have been connected by research to several serious cancers.
Texas veterans, National Guard members, civilian airport crash-fire-rescue crews, and base support personnel who worked around AFFF may have experienced years of exposure without adequate warning. This page summarizes what Texas claimants need to know about AFFF litigation. This content is not legal advice. Speak with a licensed attorney to evaluate your specific situation.
What Is AFFF and Why Is It Dangerous?
AFFF was developed in the 1960s for military use and became the required suppression agent for Class B petroleum fires at U.S. military bases and FAA-regulated airports. Its active PFAS compounds - PFOS and PFOA - create a stable film over burning fuel that rapidly extinguishes flames. The problem is their durability: PFAS do not break down in the environment or in the human body.
Long-term exposure to PFOS and PFOA has been linked in epidemiological research to elevated rates of bladder, kidney, testicular, thyroid, and several other cancers. Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) specialists were among the most heavily exposed groups, handling AFFF concentrate and conducting live-fire drills without full awareness of the chemical's toxicity. Ground crews, maintenance workers, and individuals living near bases with contaminated groundwater may also have been exposed.
Multiple AFFF manufacturers, including 3M and DuPont (now Chemours), face allegations in federal litigation that they understood PFAS health risks earlier than disclosed and failed to provide adequate warnings to the U.S. military. Documents produced during the MDL have cited internal company studies from the 1970s and 1980s identifying potential toxic effects.
Texas Military Bases and Airports Where AFFF Was Used
Texas has a dense network of high-use AFFF sites:
- ·Joint Base San Antonio (Bexar County) - encompasses Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, and Fort Sam Houston. The basic military training mission at Lackland has historically involved extensive ARFF operations. Lackland's fire department is one of the largest military fire departments in the Air Force.
- ·Dyess Air Force Base (Taylor County, Abilene) - home of the B-1B Lancer and active C-130 operations. Long-term ARFF training with documented PFAS groundwater concerns in surrounding Taylor County.
- ·Sheppard Air Force Base (Wichita Falls) - a primary Air Education and Training Command base with major fire protection schools, where trainees used AFFF in live-fire exercises.
- ·Naval Air Station Corpus Christi (Nueces County) - primary Navy helicopter training facility. ARFF operations and documented environmental monitoring for PFAS.
- ·Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base (Houston, Harris County) - a joint reserve facility serving the Air Force Reserve and Texas Air National Guard with active ARFF operations.
- ·Goodfellow Air Force Base (San Angelo) - an intelligence and fire protection training base where hundreds of military firefighters trained with AFFF annually.
Commercial airports in Houston (Bush Intercontinental, Hobby), Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio also maintained AFFF-equipped CFR crews under FAA requirements.
Cancers Associated with AFFF PFAS Exposure
Scientific research and litigation records have linked PFAS exposure to the following cancers, which appear most frequently in AFFF personal injury claims:
- ·Bladder cancer - the most common individual claim type in MDL 2873
- ·Kidney (renal cell) cancer - strongly associated with PFOA in long-term occupational studies
- ·Testicular cancer - elevated in young male military firefighters with AFFF exposure
- ·Thyroid cancer - PFAS are known to disrupt thyroid function
- ·Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - included in some VA service-connection frameworks for military firefighters
- ·Prostate cancer - higher rates observed in firefighting cohorts
- ·Pancreatic cancer - emerging evidence in some litigation frameworks
The scientific and legal standards for which cancers qualify in MDL 2873 continue to evolve. A licensed attorney who tracks the MDL's progress can advise whether your specific cancer type currently meets litigation intake criteria.
The Federal AFFF Lawsuit: MDL 2873
All AFFF cases filed in federal court, including Texas cases, are coordinated in Multidistrict Litigation 2873 before Judge Richard Gergel in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The MDL pools pretrial work - discovery, expert witnesses, motions practice - while preserving each individual claimant's separate case.
3M Company settled water-system contamination claims for approximately $12.5 billion. DuPont de Nemours and its affiliates Chemours and Corteva settled water-utility claims for approximately $1.185 billion. Neither settlement covered individual personal injury cancer claims, which remain open in the MDL.
Texas claimants whose cases are filed in federal court are transferred to South Carolina for MDL proceedings. Cases not resolved through MDL settlement may be remanded to the Western, Southern, or Northern District of Texas for trial. Given the large number of Texas military personnel, Texas claimants represent a significant portion of the MDL's docket.
Texas Legal Considerations for AFFF Claimants
Texas personal injury claims are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Section 16.003. Texas courts recognize the discovery rule for latent-disease and toxic exposure cases, which may toll the limitations period until the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known of the connection between PFAS exposure and their cancer diagnosis.
It is important to understand that the statute of limitations varies by state and by the specific nature of the claim. What applies in Texas may differ from federal rules or from limitations periods in other states. Texas applies the discovery rule narrowly in some toxic tort contexts, and courts have not always extended it as broadly as plaintiffs would prefer.
Wrongful death claims in Texas must generally be brought within two years of the date of death under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Section 16.003. If a Texas family member died from an AFFF-related cancer, consult a licensed attorney immediately to determine whether a wrongful death claim remains timely.
How Claimants Have Pursued AFFF Compensation
Texas AFFF claimants typically work with national mass-tort law firms that accept cases on contingency. No upfront fees are charged; the firm takes a percentage of any settlement or judgment. The process involves:
- Intake and records review - Military service records (DD-214), employment history, VA files, and cancer diagnosis records are assembled.
- Causation evaluation - Medical and occupational health experts evaluate whether the claimant's cancer type and exposure history support a claim in MDL 2873.
- Complaint filed in federal court - The case is then transferred to MDL 2873 in South Carolina.
- Settlement or trial - Cases resolve through MDL settlement negotiations or individual trials.
Reported settlement ranges for individual AFFF cancer claimants vary widely. Factors affecting outcome include cancer type, severity, age at diagnosis, treatment costs, duration of exposure, and the strength of documentary evidence. There is no standard AFFF settlement figure, and prior settlements do not guarantee similar outcomes in new cases.
Next Steps for Texas AFFF Cancer Claimants
If you are a Texas veteran, military firefighter, National Guard member, or civilian airport firefighter who was exposed to AFFF and has been diagnosed with bladder cancer, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, lymphoma, prostate cancer, or another potentially PFAS-linked cancer, the appropriate starting point is a free evaluation with a licensed attorney who handles AFFF mass-tort cases.
Gather records in advance: military discharge papers (DD-214 if applicable), employment or service records documenting AFFF work, VA records, and medical documentation of your cancer diagnosis. A licensed attorney will review these to determine whether your case fits the current MDL 2873 intake criteria.
This content is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. The statute of limitations varies by state and by individual facts. Texas claimants should act promptly - waiting can forfeit valid claims even where the discovery rule might otherwise apply. Only a licensed attorney who has reviewed your specific records can advise you on whether and when to file.