Citation Nr: 18155697 Decision Date: 12/06/18 Archive Date: 12/04/18 DOCKET NO. 17-19 733 DATE: December 6, 2018 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for tonsil cancer, to include as due to exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Air Force from October 1962 to June 1966. This matter is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 2015 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) which denied service connection for tonsil cancer. The Veteran provided testimony on the claim of service connection for tonsil cancer before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in October 2017. A transcript of that hearing is of record. 1. Entitlement to service connection for tonsil cancer, to include as due to exposure to PCB, is remanded. In a January 2018 remand, the Board, in pertinent part, noted the Veteran testified in his October 2017 hearing that he was stationed at the U.S. Navy Northeast Cape St. Lawrence Island Air Force station (“Northeast Cape”) in Alaska from June 1965 to June 1966 and was exposed to PCBs and radiation during that time. The Veteran contends that his exposure to PCBs and radiation at that base caused his diagnosed tonsil cancer. The Board acknowledged the record confirmed the Veteran stationed at the Northeast Cape during his active service; and that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated the Northeast Cape as a Superfund Site. Accordingly, the Board remanded that claim for additional research and development is warranted to determine the Veteran’s exposure to PCBs and radiation while stationed at the Northeast Cape. A review of the record reflects that an email was sent in October 2018 to obtain clarification as to the Veteran’s possible exposure to PCBs and radiation in accord with the January 2018 remand directives. However, the record available for the Board’s review does not reflect any response was received regarding this email, nor any other development appears to have been conducted regarding the tonsil cancer claim. Moreover, it does not appear a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was promulgated on this issue as required by 38 C.F.R. § 19.31. Therefore, a remand is required to ensure the development mandated by the January 2018 remand on the tonsil cancer claim is completed. See Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268 (1998). The Board acknowledges that the January 2018 remand also addressed the Veteran’s claims of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral foot disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. As with the tonsil cancer claim, it does not appear the full development directed by the Board’s remand has been completed on these issues. However, only the tonsil cancer claim has been certified to the Board for consideration at this time. Consequently, only the tonsil cancer claim is being addressed by this remand. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. In accord with the January 2018 remand directives, contact the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) and/or any other applicable government agency to confirm the Veteran’s dates of service at the U.S. Navy Northeast Cape, St. Lawrence Island Air Force station and ensure all available military records are obtained and associated with the claims folder. All efforts to obtain military records should be fully documented. 2. Contact the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, and any other appropriate government agency for verification of the presence or use of PCBs or radiation at the U.S. Navy Northeast Cape, St. Lawrence Island Air Force station for the dates in which the Veteran was stationed at that base. All efforts to obtain this verification should be fully documented. 3. Ensure that all other development directed by the January 2018 Board remand is completed on the claim of service connection for tonsil cancer. LESLEY A. REIN Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD John Kitlas, Counsel