[CPEO-MEF] Guam

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

>From Vancil Sanderson <rubvan@nvbell.net>

My name is Vancil Sanderson and I am trying to get the following out to
veterans who served on Guam between 1946 and 1986. In 1946 the US
military took over the island of Guam. We took possession of over 50% of
the island. We built numerous bases, Navy, Army and Air Force. In 1946
we started sending vessels from the nuclear weapons testing program to
Cocos Lagoon and possibly Apra Harbor to be decontaminated. This
practice went on until 1963. Guam was also receiving fallout from our
testing of nuclear weapons and from the ocean currents. Guam now has a
severe problem with radon. (Radon comes from decaying radioactive
particles. It also is naturally occurring.) It has been brought to my
attention that the water on Guam was severely contaminated as well. 

These are the substances that are contaminating Guam: Radon, TCE,
Benzene, Arsenic, DDT, DDD, DDE, Aldrin, Dieldrin, VOC's, PAH's, fuels,
solvents, heavy metals and more. The GAO and DOD were ordered by
Congress in 1979 to study the problem of contamination and the health
effects to the indigenous people, civilian personnel and all military
persons who were on Guam. There may have been as many as 1 million
military personnel involved. (That's on the conservative side I
believe.) The study was "Hazardous Waste, Abandoned Disposal Sites May
Be Affecting Guam's Water Supply," May 1987.  Only one of the
contaminants was released and that was TCE. It was reported that the TCE
was at a level of 6 times the amount that a person may receive. This is
not the truth, because in the hearing before the Subcommittee of the
Committee On Government Operations House of Representatives Nov. 5,1987
(Mike Synar committee chairman) the readings ran from 6 to 10 times the
amount allowable and those readings were false. All tests were done
after the military had diluted the water with fresh water. This means
that the water the people on Guam were drinking for years was severely
contaminated. 

I know that the indigenous people on Guam have a host of health
problems, things like ALS (1 in 4  have this) Alzheimer's, Parkinsons,
cancer, diabetes and more. Beside myself I have found 3 other military
people who were on Guam the same time I was there. One died of renal
cell carcinoma; another has had leukemia; I have had a soft tissue
sarcoma along with multiple forms of heart disease, muscle disease, and
severe degenerative disease of the cervical spine; and the last person
is in good health. I also have corresponded with other military units
who were on Guam in the above time frame and they have told me that
persons from their units are also having severe health problems. I have
tried to get the Secretary of Defense to declassify the report  but have
never received a reply to my 3 requests. The  local politicians in
Nevada won't even return my calls and I have written to Senator Specter
but to no avail. The military will not give me any info either and the
VA says there in the dark. I can support all my claims of contamination
on Guam. The EPA has lots of facts on Guam: There are 143 contaminated
sites, 2 NPL and 48 superfund sites. I have not been able access the
individual sites for there contamination data. The EPA says that it is
there but I have looked where they have directed me but it is not the
data on how much contamination there is at each of the sites. Like I
have said before I can support every claim I have made and if anyone
would like to contact me about this please call or write. Vancil
Sanderson (775)673-1322 or my e-mail is <rubvan@nvbell.net>. This story
needs to get out to all military persons who were on Guam between 1946
and 1986. Thankyou!  

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
lsiegel@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org

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