Toxic Mold, Lead Paint, Asbestos, and Rodents in Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Housing

In a December 9, 2023, letter to the Secretary of Defense, "Senator Patty Murray pushes the Pentagon to address housing concerns for servicemembers at JBLM." (https://news.yahoo.com/sen-murray-pushes-pentagon-address-004646934.html) This included toxic mold, lead paint, asbestos, and rodents. These poor living conditions have existed at JBLM for years. In 2021, families in 51 on-base houses filed a lawsuit over the military's refusal to address serious health conditions in their homes. (https://mynorthwest.com/2892655/jblm-lawsuit-toxic-mold-housing-units/) 

The CDC provides information about the health effects of mold (https://www.cdc.gov/mold/default.htm), as does the Cleveland Clinic (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24862-black-mold). Street medics should be aware of the symptoms of things like toxic mold. Individuals living in substandard conditions may be more likely to encounter toxic mold, lead paint, asbestos, and rodents; but as we have seen with the reports about the JBLM military base, these dangerous conditions may be present in areas where one might not normally expect to find them.