A California Army base is under investigation after nearly a thousand soldiers stationed there contracted a rare blood cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that they will be testing drinking water in Fort Ord, Monterey Bay for contamination.
At least 40 dangerous chemicals have been found in the base’s water, including trichlorethylene, or TCE, a “miracle” degreaser linked to several types of cancer.
Veteran victims say the Veterans Association has refused to provide them with assistance, forcing them to work part-time as baggage handlers while they receive treatment or recover from surgery. In the region, including Fort Ord, studies show that veterans are a third more likely to get cancer.
Leaking petrol tanks and discarded ammunition at the site are feared to have contaminated local water supplies.
About 50,000 soldiers were stationed at the military base until 1994, when the military began closing the base.
The area has since become a wildlife sanctuary, but only after $250 million was spent to clean up the debris.
Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, California’s water supply is under investigation by the CDC over allegations that its drinking water was contaminated. In the photo above, the base is covered with a tarp over debris with warnings that it contains asbestos and lead
Fort Ord was home to approximately 35,000 troops until 1994 when the Army began dismantling the base. It is now a nature reserve
Julie Akey, now 50, is one of nearly 1,000 service members who were on the scene but have since been diagnosed with blood cancer. She thinks she got the cancer from an infection
The site is believed to be contaminated after oil drums spilled in the area
The CDC sent a letter last Friday to Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter, who monitors toxin levels at the fort. She is also up for election to represent Orange County outside of Los Angeles.
Patrick Breysse, director of the Agency for the Registration of Toxic Substances and Diseases (ATSDR) GGD, said in the letter “there is enough data” to start the investigation.
He wrote: ‘[There is] sufficient data and scientific justification for ATSDR to reassess the health risks associated with historical exposure to drinking water at Ford Ord.
Ms. Porter called for the investigation in February, two days after an Associated Press investigation found evidence of contamination.
Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today backed the research, saying the study was an important step forward.
“They were willing to serve their country and risk their lives, and because of their willingness to serve, I think we really owe it to them,” he said.
50-year-old Army veteran Julie Akey, who served at the base before being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2016, said she is “convinced” that “the science will prove that our high rates of cancer and disease are no accident. “
Concerns about the base’s pollution were first raised in 1990 when the Environmental Protection Agency listed it as one of the most polluted places in the United States.
It detected more than 40 “chemicals of concern,” including TCE.
Since then, studies have suggested that the grassroots military has a cancer rate at least 35 percent higher than the general population.
The dots began to connect when Ms Akey started a Facebook group after being diagnosed with blood cancer at the age of 40.
Since then, it has gathered many members, many of whom said they too had cancer at an unexpectedly young age.
However, officials maintain that the base is secure.
The Department of Veterans Affairs told the AP earlier this year that the contamination was “within the acceptable safe range.”
There are suspicions that the military knew about the contamination.
Previous reports show TCE was encountered 43 times in Fort Ord wells from 1985 to 1994, with 18 tests showing it exceeded safe limits. However, nothing was done.
So far, the military has only detected cancer contamination at one location: Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Epidemiologists found that military personnel there had a higher death rate from cancer, including leukemia, than others. Men contracted breast cancer, and women who served and became pregnant were more likely to have babies with birth defects.
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Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
