ABC One-Hour Cleaners was responsible for improperly disposing of industrial solvents such as perchloroethylene, which inevitably led to severe water contamination at the military base. The military would also use chemicals to clean weapons and equipment, thereby increasing the extent of toxic contamination. At the water distribution plant Hadnot Point, the greatest perchloroethylene level was 43 times over the safe exposure limit. In contrast, the trichloroethylene level at the Tarawa Terrace water distribution plant eclipsed the safe exposure limit by 280 times.
