VETERANS ‘IN THE DARK’ ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

RISK FOR VETERANS AT EPA SUPERFUND SITES

“No mama, no popa, no Uncle Sam. No aunts, no uncles, no nephews, no nieces. No rifles, no planes, or artillery pieces. And nobody gives a damn. We’re the sick and dead who lived and worked on contaminated land.” 

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) have not notified veterans of their possible exposure to environmental hazards at 130 military installations on the EPA National Priority List (Superfund sites).

There’s a critical need for the VSOs to exercise leadership by identifying the 130 military bases on the NPL, including the EPA internet link to Contaminants of Concern for each base.   

There is no legal requirement or interest by the Defense Department or any government agency to notify veterans that they may have been exposed to toxic chemicals, radiation or other environmental hazards.

It’s unlikely that the government will step into this role without specific legislation.  Under intense pressure from Congress, the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune established a website registry for veterans who may have been affected by TCE contaminated drinking water at the base.

A number of Congressional hearings were held, bills introduced into Congress to provide medical care to veterans and their dependents, but as of this date, the Marine Corps has not accepted responsibility for illnesses and deaths linked to the contaminated well water. 

With 130 military bases on the EPA National Priority List (EPA Superfund), veterans are at risk of exposure to environmental hazards. 

The mission of VSOs is to serve veterans and support their needs. Nothing can be more important than your health.  There’s no magic pill for exposure to an environmental hazard.  Medical care providers need to know when a patient has been exposed to particular environmental hazards to provide appropriate medical care.  Failure to provide this critical information is inexcusable.

Not everyone who was stationed on an EPA Superfund base was exposed to an environmental hazard, but an indeterminate number were and the health effects are serious. 

Emails to the national headquarters of the American Legion, VFW, the Marine Corps League and other VSOs asking them to alert their membership of possible exposure to toxic chemicals were left unanswered. 

This is not rocket science.  The information on environmental hazards is resident on the EPA Superfund database.  The link to the websites is contained in this article.  This is literally a ‘no brainer.’  Any VSO with a website only has to cut and paste the list of military bases. 

MCAS El Toro.  Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, has been an EPA Superfund site since 1990. In 1985, the Orange County Water District found trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in shallow irrigation wells down gradient of the base.

Before knowledge of the adverse health effects on humans from exposure to these TCE and PCE were known, they were commonly used as degreasers for aircraft and vehicles.

In 1990, MCAS El Toro was placed on EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL) primarily because of a plume of toxic waste of TCE and PCE spreading off base several miles which threatened the local water supply. In 1993, MCAS El Toro was placed on the DoD BRAC list and officially closed in 1999.

At El Toro, the Navy identified 25 contaminated areas on base, including landfills containing both hazardous and solid waste; buried drums of explosives and low-level radioactive waste; and areas where PCBs, battery acids, leaded fuels, and other hazardous substances were dumped or spilled. The Navy spent millions of dollars in cleaning up the former base.

At a September 2010 Irvine City Council meeting, the Navy estimated that it would take 40 years to complete the environmental clean-up at El Toro.

Assuming a Marine veteran “connects the dots of military services to a current medical condition,” their only remedy is to file a claim with the Veterans Administration, assuming they are aware of what happened to them and unless they lived in Orange County, California that’s unlikely.

SUPERFUND: EPA’s Contaminants of Concern

For military bases that are EPA Superfunds, EPA defines environmental hazards as Contaminants of Concern (COC’s).

According to EPA, “COC’s are the chemical substances found at the site that the EPA has determined pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. These are the substances that are addressed by cleanup actions at the site.”

“ Identifying COC’s is a process where the EPA identifies people and ecological resources that could be exposed to contamination found at the site, determines the amount and type of contaminants present, and identifies the possible negative human health or ecological effects that could result from contact with the contaminants.”

A link to the list of COC’s is shown on the first page of each EPA Superfund website under the caption, “view contaminants of concern at this site.”  The health effects from exposure to a particular COC at MCAS El Toro can be obtained by clinking on the ATSDR Profile as shown below. 

MILITARY BASES ON THE NPL (EPA SUPERUNDS)

US Air Force

• Air Force Plant #4 (General Dynamics) -Fort Worth TX
• Air Force Plant 85 – Columbus OH
• Air Force Plant PJKS – Littleton CO
• American Lake Gardens/McChord AFB – Tacoma WA
• Andersen Air Force Base – Yigo GU
• Andrews Air Force Base – Andrews Air Force Base MD
• Arnold Engineering Development Center (USAF) – Tullahoma/Manchester TN
• Brandywine DRMO – Brandywine MD
• Castle Air Force Base (6 Areas) – Merced CA
• Chanute Air Force Base – Rantoul IL
• Dover Air Force Base – Dover DE
• Edwards Air Force Base – Edwards AFB CA
• Eielson Air Force Base – Fairbanks AK
• Ellsworth Air Force Base – Ellsworth AFB SD
• Elmendorf Air Force Base – Anchorage AK
• F.E. Warren Air Force Base – Cheyenne WY
• Fairchild Air Force Base (4 Waste Areas) – Spokane WA
• George Air Force Base – Victorville, CA
• Griffiss Air Force Base (11 Areas) – Rome NY
• Hanscom Field/Hanscom Air Force Base – Bedford MA
• Hill Air Force Base – Hill AFB UT
• Homestead Air Force Base – Homestead Air Force Base FL
• Loring Air Force Base – Limestone ME
• Luke Air Force Base – Glendale AZ
• March Air Force Base – Riverside CA
• Mather Air Force Base (AC&W Disposal Site) – Mather CA
• McChord Air Force Base (Wash Rack/Treatment Area) – Tacoma WA
• McClellan Air Force Base (Ground Water Contamination) -McClellan AFB CA
• McGuire Air Force Base #1 – Wrightstown NJ
• Mountain Home Air Force Base – Mountain Home ID
• Norton Air Force Base (Lndfll #2) – San Bernardino CA
• Pease Air Force Base – Portsmouth/Newington NH
• Plattsburgh Air Force Base – Plattsburgh NY
• Rickenbacker Air National Guard (USAF) – Lockbourne OH
• Robins Air Force Base (Landfill #4/Sludge Lagoon) – Houston County GA
• Tinker Air Force Base (Soldier Creek/Building 3001) – Oklahoma City OK
• Travis Air Force Base – Travis AFB CA
• Twin Cities Air Force Reserve Base (Small Arms Range Landfill) – Minneapolis MN
• Tyndall Air Force Base – Panama City FL
• Williams Air Force Base – Chandler AZ
• Wright-Patterson Air Force Base – Dayton OH
• Wurtsmith Air Force Base – Oscoda MI

US Army

• Aberdeen Proving Ground (Edgewood Area) – Edgewood MD
• Aberdeen Proving Ground (Michaelsville Landfill) – Aberdeen MD
• Alabama Army Ammunition Plant – Childersburg AL
• Anniston Army Depot (Southeast Industrial Area) – Anniston AL
• Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant – Hall County NE
• Fort Devens – Fort Devens MA
• Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex – Sudbury MA
• Fort Dix (Landfill Site) – Pemberton Township NJ
• Fort Eustis (US Army) – Newport News VA
• Fort George G. Meade – Odenton MD
• Fort Lewis (Landfill No. 5) – Tacoma WA
• Fort Lewis Logistics Center – Tillicum WA
• Fort Ord – Marina CA
• Fort Richardson (USARMY) – Anchorage AK
• Fort Riley – Junction City KS
• Fort Wainwright – Fort Wainwright AK
• Iowa Army Ammunition Plant – Middletown  IA
• Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (Load-Assembly-Packing Area) – Joliet IL
• Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (Manufacturing Area) – Joliet IL
• Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (Northwest Lagoon) – Independence MO
• Letterkenny Army Depot (PDO Area) – Franklin County PA
• Letterkenny Army Depot (SE Area) – Chambersburg PA
• Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant – Texarkana TX
• Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant – Karnack TX
• Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant – Doyline LA
• Materials Technology Laboratory (USARMY) – Watertown MA
• Milan Army Ammunition Plant – Milan TN
• Natick Laboratory Army Research, Development, and Engineering Center – Natick MA
• New Brighton/Arden Hills/TCAAP (USARMY) – New Brighton MN
• Picatinny Arsenal (USARMY) – Rockaway Township NJ
• Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant – Riverbank CA
• Rocky Mountain Arsenal (USARMY) – Adams County CO
• Sacramento Army Depot – Sacramento CA
• Savanna Army Depot Activity – Savanna IL
• Schofield Barracks (USARMY) – Schofield HI
• Seneca Army Depot – Romulus NY
• Sharpe Army Depot – Lathrop CA
• Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant – Desoto KS
• Tobyhanna Army Depot – Tobyhanna PA
• Tooele Army Depot (North Area) – Tooele UT
• Tracy Defense Depot (USARMY) – Tracy CA
• Umatilla Army Depot (Lagoons) – Hermiston OR
• US Army/NASA Redstone Arsena –  Huntsville AL
• Weldon Spring Former Army Ordnance Works – St. Charles County MO
• West Virginia Ordnance (USARMY) – Point Pleasant WV

US Coast Guard

• Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard  – Baltimore MD

US Navy

• Adak Naval Air Station – Adak AK
• Alameda Naval Air Station – Alameda CA
• Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (USNAVY) – Mineral County WV
• Bangor Naval Submarine Base – Silverdale WA
• Bangor Ordnance Disposal (USNAVY) –   Bremerton WA
• Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base – Barstow CA
• Brunswick Naval Air Station – Brunswick ME
• Camp Lejeune Military Res. (USNAVY) – Onslow County NC
• Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base – Camp Pendleton CA
• Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station – Havelock NC
• Concord Naval Weapons Station – Concord CA
• Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center – North Kingstown RI
• El Toro Marine Corps Air Station – El Toro CA
• Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center – Indian Head MD
• Jackson Park Housing Complex (USNAVY) – Kitsap County WA
• Jacksonville Naval Air Station – Jacksonville FL
• Marine Corps Combat Development Command – Quantico VA
• Marine Corps Logistics Base – Albany GA
• Moffett Naval Air Station – Moffett Field CA
• Naval Air Development Center (8 Waste Areas) – Warminster Township PA
• Naval Air Engineering Center – Lakehurst NJ
• Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island (Ault Field) – Whidbey Island WA
• Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island (Seaplane Base) – Whidbey Island WA
• Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek – Virginia Beach VA
• Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Eastern Pacific – Wahiawa HI
• Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant – Fridley MN
• Naval Security Group Activity – Sabana Seca PR
• Naval Surface Warfare Center – Dahlgren – Dahlgren VA
• Naval Undersea Warfare Engineering Station (4 Waste Areas) – Keyport WA
• Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant – Bedford MA
• Naval Weapons Station – Yorktown – Yorktown VA
• Naval Weapons Station Earle (Site A) – Colts Neck NJ
• Navy Ships Parts Control Center – Mechanicsburg PA
• New London Submarine Base – New London CT
• Newport Naval Education & Training Center – Newport RI
• Norfolk Naval Base (Sewells Point Naval Complex) – Norfolk VA
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard   – Portsmouth VA
• NWS Yorktown – Cheatham Annex – Yorktown VA
• Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot – Parris Island SC
• Patuxent River Naval Air Station – Patuxent River MD
• Pearl Harbor Naval Complex – Pearl Harbor HI
• Pensacola Naval Air Station – Pensacola FL
• Port Hadlock Detachment (USNAVY) – Indian Island WA
• Portsmouth Naval Shipyard – Kittery ME
• Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Complex – Bremerton WA
• South Weymouth Naval Air Station – Weymouth MA
• St. Juliens Creek Annex (U.S. Navy) – Chesapeake VA
• Treasure Island Naval Station-Hunters Point Annex – San Francisco CA
• USN Air Station Cecil Field – Jacksonville FL
• Washington Navy Yard – Washington DC
• Whiting Field Naval Air Station – Milton FL
• Willow Grove Naval Air and Air Reserve Station – Horsham PA
• Yuma Marine Corps Air Station – Yuma AZ 

 Keywords:  Superfund

Robert O'Dowd

Robert O’Dowd served in the 1st, 3rd and 4th Marine Aircraft Wings during 52 months of active duty in the 1960s. While at MCAS El Toro for two years, O’Dowd worked and slept in a Radium 226 contaminated work space in Hangar 296 in MWSG-37, the most industrialized and contaminated acreage on the base.

Robert is a two time cancer survivor and disabled veteran. Robert graduated from Temple University in 1973 with a bachelor’s of business administration, majoring in accounting, and worked with a number of federal agencies, including the EPA Office of Inspector General and the Defense Logistics Agency.

After retiring from the Department of Defense, he teamed up with Tim King of Salem-News.com to write about the environmental contamination at two Marine Corps bases (MCAS El Toro and MCB Camp Lejeune), the use of El Toro to ship weapons to the Contras and cocaine into the US on CIA proprietary aircraft, and the murder of Marine Colonel James E. Sabow and others who were a threat to blow the whistle on the illegal narcotrafficking activity. O’Dowd and King co-authored BETRAYAL: Toxic Exposure of U.S. Marines, Murder and Government Cover-Up. The book is available as a soft cover copy and eBook from Amazon.com. See: http://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Exposure-Marines-Government-Cover-Up/dp/1502340003.