Veterans Kept in the Dark Over Chemical Exposure

As it turns out, thousands of veterans and their dependents lived and worked on military installations that are now listed as EPA Superfund sites.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - DOD is the biggest owner of EPA Superfund sites. The contaminants and health effects of exposure are published on the EPA Superfund website.

A simple website hyperlink to military installations on the National Priority List (EPA Superfund), identifying the contaminants and health effects can save lives, but no one seems interested in setting up this hyperlink.

Veterans of military installations currently on the National Priority List (EPA Superfund) need to know the contaminants of concern (COC) found on these sites and the health effects of exposure to receive proper medical treatment.

Exposure to COC’s can cause serious medical conditions, including cancer and death. Veterans with serious medical conditions who were stationed on an EPA Superfund installation need to share this information with their medical care provider. This is not about collecting a VA disability compensation, but about helping veterans “connect the dots of serious illness” to military service and giving information to their health care providers that could save their lives.

CERCLA was passed into law in the wake of the discovery of toxic waste dumps such as Love Canal and Times Beach in the 1970s, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

No one in their right mind would voluntarily live and work on a Superfund site. For the most part, veterans are not provided the choice of military assignments. Many of the installations on the NPL were constructed during WW II and experienced decades of environmental contamination.

DOD has spent and continues to spend millions in the clean-up of contaminated sites.

With exception of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, DOD has no means of readily contacting veterans separated from military service for years and even decades.

Congress mandated that the Navy and Marine Corps contact veterans of Camp Lejeune regarding the contamination of the base wells.

As it turns out, thousands of veterans and their dependents lived and worked on military installations that are now listed as EPA Superfund sites. No one has notified these men and women that they are at risk for possible exposure to contaminants.

EPA lists 130 military installations as Superfund sites, including the Contaminants of Concern (COC’s) with a hyperlink to the health effects of exposure.

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 COCs 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.”

Access to the COC’s and their health effects can easily be obtained from EPA’s Superfund website, if you know where to look and, if you know that you may have been exposed to one or more of the contaminants.

The first page of every EPA Superfund website contains a site progress profile, including important information on contamination. Under the caption “Contamination,” a reader can quickly access all of the site’s COC’s with a hyperlink the health effects as determined by the Agency for Toxic Substances Health Registry (ATSDR), the Federal agency responsible for performing public health assessments of EPA Superfund sites.

The Veterans Administration and the Veterans Service Organizations (VSO’s) have the capability to establish a website hyperlink to the list of EPA Superfunds that are military installations.

Legislation may be needed to require the VA to establish a website hyperlink. The VA is not looking for more clients so I doubt if they would be interested in promulgating this information. On the other hand, VSO’s exist solely to service the needs of their membership or at least, that’s the theory. The VSO’s, many with excellent websites, could easily establish a hyperlink on their own authority.

Our review of the 45 VSO’s chartered by Congress or authorized by the VA to represent VA claimants showed that many have excellent websites but NONE PROVIDED ACCESS TO THIS IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION.

If you are a member of one of the following VSO’s chartered by Congress or recognized by the VA to represent VA claimants, take a few minutes to email your organization, asking them to help to save veterans’ lives by establishing a link to the military installations that are EPA Superfund sites. The life you save may literally be your own.

I’ve listed the military installations that are EPA Superfund sites by military service below. Please pass this information on to a veteran.

MILITARY BASES ON THE NPL (EPA SUPERFUNDS):

US Air Force

US Army

US Coast Guard

US Navy - US Marine Corps

You can reach Bob O’Dowd, Salem-News.com Environmental and Military Reporter, here: mwsg37.com; or email Bob O’Dowd, Salem-News.com Environmental and Military Reporter, at this address: consults03@comcast.net

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Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Orva Luke May 4, 2024 9:11 am (Pacific time)

My husband served in the Navy on the USS Stoddard during 1962-1964. I have been advised he was exposed to Toxic Chemicals during this time. However no one will tell me what. He passed with severe Prostate Cancer that had spread thru all his organs, very fast moving. The VA is denying my claim for benefits. If any other sailor were on the Stoddard during that time and are getting benefits for exposure. Please reach out to me I need help. Please Orva Luke

David Anthony January 31, 2024 7:10 am (Pacific time)

People/Fellow veterans - google the name of the location and add "contamination" or "superfund" to the search. You will find copious amounts of info if that site had any contamination, which almost every military site does. Doing this I was able to ascertain that my wife's Uncle worked at, or trained at 13 different military installations that are Superfund sites during his Naval career. He never went to the VA since he always thought you had to have had something happen to you while you are in the Navy - not the case. I am a 100% disabled veteran myself and I am now working on his claim for mutiple issues. Good luck and God bless.

Anthony Reece January 14, 2023 5:22 am (Pacific time)

Link for Plattsburgh AFB not working. Appreciate ur hard work. Thank You.

EDITOR: It has been corrected. Thank you for letting us know!

ron pierce December 16, 2022 5:33 am (Pacific time)

LQQking for other Surviving Military Policemen,980th military police company,Sierra Army Depot!! I was there in 1973,1974,1975!! im very sick now,V A is like the lil boy who peed dah bed!!NOTHING!! PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOUR STILL WITH US!! Talk about a case study oF 225 military policemen,DRINKING DAH WATER FOR 2 OR 3 YEARS!! THANK YOU FOR READING!! RONALD JESS PIERCE/909/437/5060,TEXT/CHAT/mapas5cats@yahoo.com

Anonymous December 3, 2022 6:13 am (Pacific time)

My name is Ronald Pierce!! I served in the 980th military police unit,sierra army depot,herlong,ca!! april 1973 thru july 1975!! I am looking for other survivors there!! we were told it was the most secure place on earth,but they didnt tell us it was one of the most contaminated on earth also!! check all the facts!! NOBODY FROM THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HAS EVER CONTACTED ME ABOUT JACK!! TOTAL COVER/UP!! WERE NOT EVEN ON THIS LIST!! HERES A GREAT STUDY OF 225 MILITARY POLICEMEN WITH TOP SECRET CLEARANCES!! WHO SSTILL WITH US,WHOS NOT?? ITS ALL A ,B F S!! GOT IT!! 9094375060/MAPAS5CATS@YAHOO.COM PLEASE RESPOND,IF YOUR STILL WITH US!! RON PIERCE.. THANK YOU FOR READING!!

Dudley Barber July 24, 2022 4:45 pm (Pacific time)

The Schofield Barrack HI link is broken

My email is dudleybarber@gmail.com
SFC USA Ret.
I was stationed st Schofield from December 1991 till Dec to Dec 1994.
EDITOR: Thank you, the link is now working

Robert D Webb June 16, 2022 1:09 pm (Pacific time)

Link to Cherry Point MCAS Havelock, NC is not working.

EDITOR: Thank you, the link is now working

Mark DAV April 28, 2022 5:21 pm (Pacific time)

The link for Norton AFB is not working, I was stationed there 1/1/1978 to 12/26/1980, I was an Air Cargo Spec and in charge of Passengers and cargo that moved throughout the branches of service. I at one time had an article about the storage and shipping both in and out of Norton of Agent Orange, It got lost when my computer crashed.

EDITOR: Thank you, the link is now working

Anonymous December 3, 2021 12:19 am (Pacific time)

The link for ft wainwright is broken.

EDITOR: Thank you, the link is now working

Brian E February 22, 2021 1:06 pm (Pacific time)

I have a Marine Veteran Im working with who served at NWSE.. He has Leukemia which I can connect but also Parkinson's. He served 75-79 at Earl and according to other sources, AO was Stored and/or tested there. Any other Veterans serve there have Parkinson's?

Anonymous February 3, 2021 6:55 pm (Pacific time)

Looking for a corrected link for Loring AFB please. They were due to shut down in the late 1980s with water contamination but was kept open for Desert Shield/Storm then...I was there until 93. After the bombers also bombed in Iraq and landed in Diego with fallout on the skin-maintenamce had no protection, just turned the planes around again. We know from VN that AO cant be washed off a/c skin. This had to add to Loring AFB's already toxic environment

Norm Cooper November 14, 2020 4:56 pm (Pacific time)

Cannot open link to USN airstation Cecil Field, Jacksonville FL Where do I locate this information? thanks

EDITOR: The link has been corrected, but here it is, as well: .
https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=0404743

Anonymous August 4, 2020 10:44 am (Pacific time)

The link to US Air Force, Castle AFB, Merced California does not work.

EDITOR: The link has been corrected. Here it is, as well: https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0902751

PRandall June 28, 2020 8:54 am (Pacific time)

Posted a comment previously about loring afb, on this list I was also stationed at Chanute afb, where toxic chems were disposed in barrels in the lake on base it is now shut down. Also stationed at Eielson afb and mountain Home afb, hmmm guess I’m in for a healthy life, not

PRandall June 28, 2020 8:49 am (Pacific time)

I was stationed at loring afb in 1981 and had massive exposure to asbestos. I remember the pipes covered with a asbestos wrapping in dorms and in the tunnels around base. I even remember the pipes shaking and would wake up in the morning and the bed covered in white powder. And walking through the tunnels to different areas on base it was always clouded with white dust. Now I have numerous nodules in my lungs and skin cancer. I believe it is related.

Pierre Chaney April 3, 2019 7:09 pm (Pacific time)

How can Seneca Army Depot be on this list, and Sierra Army Depot not? Or Ft. McClellan, Ala not???

Larry A Pianzio June 7, 2018 7:35 am (Pacific time)

As a recip. mech. from 1972 -1975 at McCullan AFB I sure wash and stored a lot of C 123 Eng. Now I lost my prostate to cancer and have Hep C and kick to the curb.

patrick denny September 17, 2016 8:39 pm (Pacific time)

In the summer of 1972 I was at marbo annex,Anderson air base,Gaum. I have sense had bladder cancer. I wonder if the drinking water there could be the cause?

Doug D January 22, 2016 6:34 pm (Pacific time)

I served at F E Warren from Jan 83 thrust Oct 84. I lived in the dorms and worked in the WSA. I also spent my final year at Loring AFB. Both are on the EPA superfund list. While at Warren I was hospitalized several times as well as seen at sick call for abdominal pain. Since my separation my health has been gradually declining with more than a dozen illness's that are connected to a autoimmune disease called sjogrens syndrome. This disease is connected with exposure to several chemicals released at these bases. In 1984 i witnessed personnel in chem suits trapping small animals around the WSA at Warren AFB. They were carrying geiger counters as well. Nothing was ever said about this and it stayed in the back of my mind for years. As I was getting more sick i asked several doctors if there could be a connection from working around nuclear weapons, never thinking about chemicals until I came across the epa list. I could use help with an appeal if anyone else from these bases witnessed the trapping or is suffering illness. We need to help each other with these cases. Thanks for reading my venting......Doug!

jeff s, harwell August 15, 2012 12:36 pm (Pacific time)

i was born at clark a.f.b. philippines august 1964. was chemicals used there im a veteran in the us army as a baby i had kidney and skin problems and now as aduilt heart kidney liver problems could they sprayed chems at clark a.f.b.?

Joy November 3, 2010 7:44 am (Pacific time)

I am wondering if there is a link also to or regarding Edgewood Arsenal over in Desert Rock, Nevada as I am battling this same issue with the VA right now about this particular installation and what all was tested there between 1956-66.
I know what I was Told by my father who was there, but I need to Prove it now fo service connected death. Any help or directio you could give or point, I would so Greatly appreciate it! Great work in this, and thank you so much for answering the call and fighting for our nation! God Bless you sir! Have a good day, and please let me know what if anything you can - thanks again! Joy

Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change November 2, 2010 1:01 pm (Pacific time)

Excellent article... I'd be interested in hearing the replies from the various VSO's as to why they don't help Veterans via publishing information on their websites. After all, their mission statements clearly state their purpose and mission to help Veterans, so where is this help?

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