Crumbling barracks line a field at Fort Ord on Thursday, April 29, 2021, in Fort Ord, Calif. Many veterans of Fort Ord who believe their cancers were caused by exposure to chemicals at the base have been denied disability and medical benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
— TCE was among dozens of pollutants that scientists discovered as early as 1985 and today still exists in concentrations above the legal limit for drinking water in the aquifer below Fort Ord, according to local and federal water quality reports. Local water officials say drinking water is now pulled from other areas and treated before being delivered to customers.
— There is rarely a way to directly connect toxic exposure to a specific individual’s medical condition. Local utilities, the Defense Department and some in the Department of Veterans Affairs insist Fort Ord’s water has always been safe. But the VA’s own hazardous materials exposure website, along with scientists and doctors, agree that, in general, dangers exist for military personnel potentially exposed to contaminants.