Fort Dix (Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst)

Fort Dix is a United States Army installation in Burlington County, New Jersey, about 18 miles southeast of Trenton. It was established in July 1917 as Camp Dix, a training and staging ground for soldiers during World War I, and became a permanent post renamed Fort Dix in 1939. For decades it served as one of the Army's major basic training centers, and it continues to support training and mobilization for active and reserve component forces. In 2009, Fort Dix was consolidated with the adjacent McGuire Air Force Base and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst to form Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Department of Defense's first tri-service joint base.

There are concerns about potential carcinogenic health hazards at Fort Dix, due to documented environmental contamination at the installation:

1. Solvents (volatile organic compounds): The 126-acre Fort Dix Landfill operated as a sanitary landfill from 1950 until 1984, receiving wastes that included sludges, waste paints and paint thinners, pesticides, and mess hall grease. Because access to the landfill was not controlled until 1980, records of disposal practices are incomplete. Investigations found soil and groundwater beneath the landfill contaminated with VOC solvents. Long-term exposure to certain VOC solvents has been associated with an increased risk of cancer and other health effects, raising concerns for personnel who may have been exposed.
2. Heavy metals: Sampling at the landfill also identified metals as contaminants of concern in soil and groundwater. The installation sits above a Class 1-A aquifer that supplies drinking water to a large area of central New Jersey, which made the potential migration of metals and other contaminants a particular focus of the investigation. Exposure to certain heavy metals may potentially be linked to cancer and other chronic health conditions.
3. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances): In 2016, the Department of Defense confirmed the presence of PFOS and PFOA at the Dix section of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. These chemicals are associated primarily with AFFF (aqueous film forming foam), a firefighting foam used for decades in training exercises and emergency responses. Groundwater sampling across the joint base has found very high concentrations, including a 2019 sample at the McGuire section with reported combined PFOS and PFOA levels of approximately 264,000 parts per trillion, far above federal health advisory levels. The military has sampled off-base private wells in surrounding communities, with expanded sampling around the Dix area conducted in 2023 and 2024. PFAS exposure has been associated in some studies with several health conditions, including certain cancers.

The Fort Dix Landfill was placed on the EPA's National Priorities List (Superfund) in 1987. Under a 1991 Record of Decision, the Army capped the landfill, installed gas venting, fenced the perimeter, and put long-term groundwater monitoring and land use restrictions in place. EPA determined that the remedy met cleanup requirements and deleted the site from the National Priorities List in September 2012, and a 2023 five-year review found the remedy functioning as intended, with monitoring continuing under New Jersey state oversight. The PFAS investigation at the joint base is being handled separately and remains ongoing.

It is important to note that while there are concerns about potential exposure to environmental contaminants at Fort Dix, establishing a definitive link between service at the installation and any specific illness can be complex, and research into the health effects of these substances is ongoing. Veterans who served at Fort Dix are encouraged to stay informed about the continuing investigations, keep records of their service history, and consult the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding health evaluations and any benefits for which they may be eligible.