Since the early 20th century, the U.S. military’s negligent use, storage and disposal of harmful chemical substances on its bases has exposed countless troops to severe health hazards. One example is Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina, where toxic contamination went unnoticed for several decades until measures were taken in the mid-1980s. As a result, thousands of veterans and their family members developed life-threatening and debilitating diseases.
Veterans aren’t the only people impacted by the military’s careless practices. Contaminated army bases pose a public health threat to surrounding communities, which are often populated by marginalized minority groups. What’s more, service members of color face higher toxic exposure risks due to the lower ranking status they are usually relegated to.
Camp Lejeune, built during World War II, served as the first base where African American soldiers were trained. During these initial years, these recruits were segregated to Point Montford, a facility located on the base’s marshy northern outskirts. When the military desegregated in the late 1940s, African American Marines were shuffled from Point Montford to other facilities across Camp Lejeune where contamination ran rampant.
