Dangerous Chemical Exceeds 500x EPA Safety Standard at Okinawa Marine Base

GEAR CHECK: Our readers don't just follow the news - they stay ready. Featured gear from this story is below.

Daniel Sharp

The Marine Corps have reported alarmingly high levels of toxins at Marine Corps Base in Okinawa. Officials claim there is no immediate health risk, but some experts are not convinced.

The following is an excerpt from a report by a Veteran health focused non-profit, HunterSeven Foundation:

The Naval Public Health Center found the toxic equivalent of 0.0025 mg/kg of the dioxin 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (“TCDD”) in the area of the Marine Corps Maintenance Bldg. 1304, an outdoor exercise facility and the base skatepark – which is FIVE-HUNDRED times the EPA’s carcinogenic screening level. Another section of the base, surrounding the medical clinic, registered more than one-hundred times higher, making the area unsafe for children. Other areas across the base, specifically the Kinser Elementary School and adjacent sports fields were deemed toxic after contaminated soil was used to fill the surrounding area.

———————

There is a noted, positive correlation between airborne exposures to dioxins and TCDD which may lead to a cancer diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (NHL) (Gaspard et al., 2022). It is unknown if this sample population was exposed to the chemical directly or passively through secondary exposures via soil / sand which we assume would make an important difference in reference to our military members.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Which Okinawa base, and which <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarineCorps?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarineCorps</a> units are effected? Read the the medical fallouts below.<a href="https://t.co/3qrbbnCgYi">https://t.co/3qrbbnCgYi</a> <a href="https://t.co/F1uY3LozjD">pic.twitter.com/F1uY3LozjD</a></p>&mdash; HunterSeven Foundation (@H7Foundation) <a href="https://twitter.com/H7Foundation/status/1623852097669152768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Patriotism & Poison

The US military has a long history of exposing their troops to toxic substances. Black mold, radiation, burn pits, and tainted water have all been directly linked to life threatening maladies.

Many Veterans believe it is not merely enough to pass legislation decades after service members are exposed. Furthermore, several outspoken Veteran health advocates insist the government must take more accountability in the present. This would include a top-down review of potential sources of exposures, and more frequent testing of work spaces and water sources on base.

The toxins found at the Okinawa Marine Base are certainly disturbing, and speak to a larger problem the government seems hard pressed to acknowledge. Our troops deserve better.

You may also like

Blog

The Department of Veterans Affairs is putting a record $1.17 billion behind a problem that still affects thousands of Americans who once wore the uniform. The money will go to 680 organizations nationwide to help homeless Veterans and those at immediate risk of losing their homes. The funding comes after the VA housed 51,936 homeless Veterans in fiscal year 2025, its highest total in seven years.
About 90 sailors aboard the USS Kearsarge returned to Naval Station Norfolk after 10 days at sea, only to discover their cars had been towed. The vehicles had been left in a fenced lot near Pier 14 during a base concert, leaving sailors waiting for hours at the impound lot to get them back.
What started with cars spinning donuts in a Houston parking lot ended with a vehicle flipping repeatedly, one person dead, three hospitalized and firearms discovered inside. Five people were in the fleeing vehicle, most or all believed to be juveniles. But the biggest question remained unanswered: who was behind the wheel?
A Russian drone struck a passenger train near Ukraine’s border with Poland just minutes after a diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson and other senior European figures had passed through the same area.
President Donald Trump has put a striking new price tag on the 2026 midterm elections: $5,000 for every American adult if Republicans keep control of Congress.

Like This Story? Check Out What Our Community Is Buying

Our best sellers are designed for real-world use - not hype.

View Best Sellers