While not quite as bad as Lejuene, it was still vastly greater than the general population. I also have friends who lost very young children, and whose children were born with birth defects in numbers far exceeding the expected norms for any other demographic. One friend right now has Parkinson’s so bad, he has to be strapped into even a recliner, as he shakes so bad, he falls out of the chair. I have had too many friends die of cancer, and of Parkinson’s, and of various other illnesses, all attributable to the toxins at El Toro. Whether perceived or factual, that seems to be the outcome. So the old adage, “We have investigated our wrongdoing, and have found we did nothing wrong” holds true here as well. So, veterans are hurt by the government, and have to go to what many view as a biased court to have a shot at help, and they are shot down every time. Not even Law Firms are wanting to challenge the government on this, since the court of jurisdiction is the Veterans Affairs Court, and all court cases yet heard there about El Toro has denied any responsibility by the government. And since the fixed wing aircraft were never at Camp Lejuene, that path is out for many injured Marines who were exclusively at El Toro, and several bases far from Vietnam overseas. Since no presumption is determined for El Toro, the VA simply ignores the diseases veterans are fighting, and refuses to grant any disability for those conditions, unless those veterans happened to be at a very short list of bases either stateside or internationally. So, you may have to fight the VA for years before getting a single dollar in disability, if you ever get that. Now, what has the government done to help those Marines harmed by the contaminants found at El Toro? Well, first off, not a single disease related to these chemicals has put MCAS El Toro onto the “Presumed” list of sites for VA benefits. Which can cause a myriad of problems for those exposed. Dioxin is an extremely toxic substance found in Agent Orange. The list is long here, and still not complete!ĭioxin 2,3,7,8 TCDD has been found in at least 6 sites. Currently, PFOS and PFOA are the most studied chemicals from the PFAS group.Īnd it gets even worse. Regrettably, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro left behind a toxic legacy after it was closed, as the concentration of PFAS in the environment of the military base was found to be 3,826 parts per trillion, which greatly exceeds the permissible limit of 70 parts per trillion set by the Environmental Protection Agency. So, what was SO dangerous there that the base that the EPA called it a Superfund Cleanup Site? First, was the Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), a highly toxic group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. In 1990, the base was deemed a Superfund Cleanup Site by the US Environmental Protection Agency, 9 years before all operations ceased at the base. The Navy noted of few contaminants of concern, but not all, by a long shot. The other squadron became VMFP-3, flying the RF-4B, out of MCAS El Toro, CA.Įl Toro was decommissioned in 1999. They became VMAQ-2 flying the EA-6A and later EA-6B, and was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina. Later, the 3 Composite squadrons of the Marines were combined and separated into 3 unique squadrons. The fighters were all F-4 aircraft, and the Composite Squadron was mad up of EA-6A and RF-4B aircraft. 11th was composed of 3 Fighter Squadrons, and 1 Composite Squadron. It was the home of the 3rd Marine Air Wing, and at least while I was there, was the home to the 11th Marine Air Group, the 13th Marine Air Group, and the 37th Marine Air Group. Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, which was in Orange County, CA, near the small town of Irvine, CA.Įl Toro was built in 1942, on about 4,000 acres of land in Orange County, CA. I am going to expose just one base today. The actual list is smaller than I expected, but much longer than it should be. But Camp Lejuene is not the only base of the military’s which has been contaminated with toxic chemicals and other contaminants. It should have never happened, and the government is FINALLY doing what they should have done from the beginning. Rightfully so, as the stories from that military installation are both tragic and heart rending. Camp Lejuene has been getting a LOT of attention lately due to the contaminants in the water and soil.
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