After carrying the weight of war for generations, many Oklahoma veterans now face a burden they never enlisted for. Invisible volatile organic compounds (VOCs), trichloroethylene (TCE), and perchloroethylene (PCE) linger in their communities, seeping into soil, water and bodies.
TCE and PCE evaporate into the air quickly, but once they reach soil and water, they tend to stick around, exacerbating their harmful effects.PCEingroundwatercanlast up to six years, while TCE in soil can persist for nearly eight.
This resilience increases their ability to enter the human body, whether through inhalation, ingestion or physical touch. Once inside, the effects are brutal: cancers, kidney failure, heart problems, Parkinson’s disease and more. The military once valued these chemicals for their stability, nonflammable properties, rapid evaporation and ability to quickly dissolve oils without corroding metal. Every military branch used them to clean and degrease industrial parts and machinery, not knowing that they were poisoning the very people who swore to serve. The result was widespread contamination that affected groundwater and military bases nationwide, including those in Oklahoma.
Although the government has been aware of the dangers of TCE and PCE for decades, policymakers have failed to address the problem with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. For instance, the Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA) onlyrecentlybannedTCEandPCE.
The regulation, implemented in January 2025, was long overdue, given the substantial scientific evidence that has been available for years. The high price of federal inaction has become abundantly clear: the absence of guidance and assistance, veterans and their families still living in contaminated bases, and preventable illnesses and deaths.
TCE and PCE Risks for Oklahoma Veterans
Given the widespread use of VOCs across military installations, a significant percentage of Oklahoma’s over 236,500 veterans are likely at risk. These threats extend to Marshall County’s more than 1,200 former service members.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimates that over 1,400 active and former military bases have been contaminated with TCE. Most notably, Camp Lejeune in North Carolina has garnered much publicity not for its historical or strategic value, but for its dangerously high levels of VOCs, particularly TCE.
The agency described its contamination as “among the worst on record.” From 1957 to 1987, up to 800,000 people, including 630,000 service members, lived and worked atCampLejeune.Manyofthemsuffered long-term medical conditions andevendeathbecauseofexposure.
Unfortunately, examples of VOC-contaminated bases also exist in Oklahoma. These hazardous compounds have been found at Fort Sill (Comanche County), Tinker Air Force Base (Oklahoma City), and Vance Air Force Base (Enid).
Promoting Accountability andVeteranSupportWithaNational ContaminationDatabase Though some measures have beenintroducedtoaddressTCEand PCE contamination, the government and U.S. military have often delayed critical interventions, while downplaying and misrepresenting information. Camp Lejeune is an excellent example.
There had been reports of contaminated drinking water as early as the 1980s. However, it took 19 years before the United States Marine Corps (USMC) informed the on-base community about the dangers they were facing.
For years, USMC officials consistently denied any environmental problems, scaled back on water testing and withheld test results from the public. Their admission only came after residents noticed an unusually high number of birth defects and rare illnesses.
Camp Lejeune isn’t an isolated case. Across the nation and in Oklahoma, people are seeing the results of federal complacency. There is a lack of oversight, transparency and accountability regarding servicerelated VOC exposure.
Though there is some knowledge of who and how many are affected, the information is still a loose estimate. At the same time, people who have been exposed have little to no data about the VOC levels in their communities. There are also no ramifications for underreporting or minimizing VOCs like TCE and PCE.
The public needs publicly available dashboards that accurately report the gravity of contamination and updates on cleanups. Meanwhile, entities that mislead or misrepresentpersonalandenvironmental risks should be held liable.
Currently, information is fragmented and distributed across the EPA, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and local agencies making it impossible to monitor national contamination risks. A national database would put together reportsofcontaminationandhealth outcomes, while identifying at-risk communities.
It would give doctors more information, enabling them to promptly diagnose and treat illnesses linked to TCE and PCE. Policymakers would be able to direct resources to vulnerable communities, while veterans and their families would have better access to legal and medical support.
TCE and PCE contamination is a national crisis that urgently requires federal support. It has been ignored for far too long, and many Oklahoma veterans are paying the price. Laws and regulations must change so they reflect the debt we owe them while prioritizing their health and well-being.
Jordan Cade is a lawyer at the Environmental Litigation Group P.C. in Birmingham, Alabama. He advocates for clients harmed by toxic substances and industrial pollution, drawing on his experience in litigation involving environmental toxic exposure, medical negligence, civil rights, and other personal injury cases.