An Open Letter to President Obama

An Open Letter to President Obama About Veterans Exposed to Environmental Hazards

Dear President Obama: We know that you may have read and been briefed about individuals exposed to environmental hazards at Camp Lejeune. For Camp Lejeune, Senator Daniel Akaka (D, HI) estimated that as many as 500,000 veterans and dependents may have been exposed to organic solvents in the base’s water supply.  In January 2010, Senator Akaka proposed an original bill to provide for health care for those exposed and harmed by environmental hazards at Camp Lejeune, Atsugi Naval Air Facility and other military installations. 

As you may know, Senator Akaka’s bill (S.3378) was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar this month.  This bill would also establish an advisory board with scientific expertise to make recommendations to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense for those who were exposed to environmental hazards at military installations.   

The Congressional Budget Office reported that the Environmental Protection Agency noted that environmental contaminations are a widespread problem at current and former military installations.  In fact, EPA’s National Priority List (Superfund List) includes 130 military installations, making the Defense Department by far the largest owner of Superfund sites. 

The CBO estimated there are 50 million veterans and dependents lived or worked on military installations.  An unknown number were exposed to environmental hazards.

There’s no legal requirement for the Federal government to notify veterans and their dependents of the potential environmental hazards and their health effects they may have been exposed to.  Senator Akaka’s bill does not include any notification requirement.

Imagine for a moment that you are one of the millions of veterans who served at a base now on the EPA Superfund list. Like many veterans you now live far from your former military base, may not have access to the internet, have no contacts with former military friends, may be seriously ill, and unable to “connect the dots” of your illness to military service. 

Unlike someone injured on the job, there is no workman compensation for a veteran to cover his or her medical expenses or even the possibility of filing a tort lawsuit for injuries. Based on a Supreme Court decision, veterans cannot file a lawsuit against the government.

Assuming that you are aware of the connection of your illness to military service, you can file a disability claim with the VA. The VA disability process may take years to settle.

Notification to veterans is the right thing to do. This should not require a huge expenditure of funds, only an earnest commitment to do it.  Veteran Service Organizations can help spread the word to their memberships. EPA’s Superfund database lists the contaminants of concern (environmental hazards) for each military installation.  VSOs need only alert their memberships to this valuable source of information.

There’s no good reason why veterans of Superfund sites should not be notified of the risk of potential exposure to environmental hazards and their health effects. Notification through the VSOs should not require legislation or an Executive Order. 

A letter from Secretary Eric Shinseki to the VSOs asking them to alert their memberships to the information already resident on the EPA Superfund database is all that is needed. (See: https://www.veteranstodayarchives.com/2009/05/16/epa-superfunds-veterans-at-risk/)

The following is a list of the 130 military installations on the EPA Superfund list.  From this list, the contaminants of concern identified by EPA.   COCs are the chemical substances found at the site that the EPA has determined pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.  The EPA database provides a link to the health effects of exposure to each COC. 

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you or your designee.

MILITARY BASES ON EPA’S NATIONAL PRIORITY LIST

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
Bradyine
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 Arsenal
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

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.