VETERANS COMPLAIN OF DEADLY, DEBILITATING, CHRONIC DISEASES AMID CHEMICALS, BIOWEAPONS AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE AT FORT MCCLELLAN

Veterans complain of deadly, debilitating, chronic diseases amid chemicals, bioweapons and radioactive waste at Fort McClellan
Friday, January 22, 2016 by: Daniel Barker
Tags: Fort McClellan, veterans, toxic chemicals



(NaturalNews) Those who are sent abroad to serve our country are often sadly neglected once they return home. But there are also veterans suffering from a tragic fate which befell them here within our nation's borders who are also being forgotten and ignored by those in power.

Fort McClellan is a now-defunct military base near the town of Anniston, Alabama. The base was closed in 1999 after the Environmental Protection Agency classified it as a hazardous site.

Many of the veterans who were stationed there are now suffering from a variety of debilitating chronic illnesses due to the toxic chemicals and bio-weapons that were (and still are) stored there. The materials include Agent Orange, Agent Blue (an even more deadly chemical than Agent Orange), the nerve agent sarin, depleted uranium and many other man-made toxins.

The water table has become so polluted with toxic chemicals that it is now illegal to drill wells in the area.

And as if all that weren't bad enough, the base and its surrounding area, including the town of Anniston, was subjected to the poisoning of its air, water and soil for several decades by the Monsanto Corporation.

The area has been named the most toxic place on the planet because of Monsanto's activities there, which included introducing PCBs and other highly poisonous substances to the environment. The EPA has placed the site at the top if its Superfund list for cleanup.

In 2003, a settlement with Monsanto was reached in a class-action court case which ended with the chemical giant paying $700 million to 20,000 Anniston residents who were affected by the toxins.

Unfortunately, the settlement did not include military personnel stationed at the base.

As Denise Williams wrote for ChicagoNow.com:

The thinking behind this intentional omission, at least publicly, had been that the military and the VA would take care of it's own. The less public but acknowledged answer is that Monsanto was and is responsible for the PCB contamination, but not for the plethora of other toxins to which the base personnel were exposed. In Monsanto's defense, they are right.

Meanwhile, hundreds -- if not thousands -- of veterans who were stationed at Ft. McClellan are coping with a variety of serious illnesses. Many have died from exposure to the toxic soup of chemicals found there, and many others are fighting to get the care that they need and deserve.

Many of the illnesses and disorders that the veterans have contracted are affecting the next generation due to the chromosomal effects of some of the toxins. That's only in the cases , of course, where those exposed are even able to have children -- there are numerous reports of female veterans who were stationed at Ft. McClellan having had series of miscarriages. Others have been forced to undergo radical hysterectomies before the age of 30.

Many other Ft. McClellan vets -- male and female -- are suffering from cancers and a range of other deadly diseases but are still waiting for the government to take action. Not only is the Veteran's Administration not informing people that they were exposed, but they are also routinely denying care to those who desperately need it.

Even though the base was shut down by the EPA because of the toxic threat, the VA has not acknowledged that there is a problem.

There has been a bill introduced to Congress called the Ft. McClellan Health Registry Act, but it is still awaiting action. Although the bill has received the support of numerous members of Congress, it has still not been approved since its introduction in 2013.

It is a shameful reflection on our government that these men and women who served our country are still allowed to suffer without any assistance from those who are responsible for their care. It is hoped that their voices will be heard soon.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.chicagonow.com

http://www.abc3340.com


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/052718_Fort_McClellan_veterans_toxic_chemicals.html#ixzz3y69Y8wdR