The matches came in rapid-fire succession on four pitches squeezed next to each other beneath a cavernous roof. Five boys per team, four matches at once, each 18 minutes, with only 90 seconds between them. Twelve hours later, the boys were gone, but the games went on. Eight teams, four fields, a sea of bouncing ponytails.
It was peak soccer simultaneity. A vicious shot hit the crossbar on one pitch; on the next, a midfielder streaked past defenders on a breakaway; a corner kick on the third field; and on the fourth, a straight shot found the back of the net. In the stands, cheers went up for “Dani!” and “Ari!” and “Kylie!” and “Amber!” And as the night wore on, more and more of these young women stood with flushed faces and hands on hips, breathing deeply whenever a stoppage gave them a chance.
The Soccer Coliseum bills itself as the “leading youth soccer arena in America, attracting more teams … than any other indoor facility.” Since 1996, this fútbol mecca — which rents space inside New Jersey’s Teaneck Armory — has offered youth soccer programs, including tournaments, classes, and camps, for kids as young as 3, introducing a generation of children to the beautiful game.
Under the 35,000 square feet of red, artificial turf and the site-mandated rubber-soled shoes, however, lurked a hidden danger. The basement had housed an Army National Guard indoor firing range, or IFR, for decades. Each time a citizen-soldier fired a rifle or pistol, it emitted an extremely dangerous form of lead: toxic dust that research shows is frequently tracked around armories on soldiers’ clothing and dispersed through ventilation systems.
Exclusive documents obtained by The Intercept show that the Army National Guard knowingly endangered the health and safety of soldiers and civilians at armories — also known as readiness centers — across three, and possibly 53, states and territories. A Soccer Coliseum director told The Intercept that he was never informed about a potential source of lead contamination in the basement below the playing fields.
Photo: Nick Turse for The Intercept
Despite being aware of the public health threat posed by lead-contaminated indoor firing ranges, the Army National Guard “didn’t take required action to remediate lead hazards from readiness centers with IFRs,” according to a 2020 Army audit of more than 130 armories that was obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. “ARNG, States, and territories potentially put Soldiers and family members health at risk from lead exposure.”
At least 600 and possibly more than 1,300 National Guard indoor firing ranges may still pose a threat.
An investigation by The Intercept finds that nearly 50 years after the U.S. government sounded the alarm about the “potential health hazard” of IFRs, almost 40 years after the National Guard admitted most of its indoor ranges were “unsafe,” and more than 25 years after a Pentagon study urged decontamination of National Guard indoor firing ranges due to “lead hazards,” at least 600 and possibly more than 1,300 National Guard IFRs, from coast to coast, may still pose a threat. Additional armories may also be falsely counted as safe; an untold number that have undergone remediation may still pose health risks. But exactly where citizen-soldiers and civilians are most endangered remains a mystery. National Guard officials admit to flawed recordkeeping and say they do not have a ready list of sites that they call “high-risk IFRs.”
“There ought to be congressional action. And the Secretary of the Army should immediately order the clean-up of these 600 sites. They should be cleaned up in a hurry,” said Ruth Ann Norton, a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee and a leader of Lead-Free NJ, a collaborative focused on addressing lead hazards in the state. “It’s worth the cost, the return on investment, in terms of preventing the health impacts — kidney malfunction, hypertension, stillbirths, miscarriages, cardiac issues, neurological dysfunction — not to mention the moral imperative not to put people at risk.”
Teaneck’s Soccer Coliseum is not mentioned by name in the nearly 50-page audit which obscures even the names of the states where the armories are located, but a picture of the enormous facility, with its distinctive red turf, unique windows, and high arching roof, as well as the audit’s description of the site, leaves no doubt. “Soldiers, civilians, and the public had unrestricted access to two centers with three IFRs in State C,” reads the 2020 audit, noting, in understated fashion, that one of those centers in State C — which the Army confirmed is New Jersey — “hosted an indoor soccer league.”
U.S. Audit of Army Operations Toxic dust brought into armories by shooters’ clothing was circulated through ventilation systems and spread throughout the facilities across the United States. This dust contained lead, a highly toxic substance that poses serious health risks, especially to children. Exposure to lead can result in permanent brain and nervous system damage, stunted growth, and reduced cognitive abilities.
In adults, lead exposure increases the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, and kidney damage. Pregnant women exposed to lead are at a higher risk of miscarriages and stillbirths. A study in 2023 suggested that lead exposure globally may have contributed to millions of deaths and decreased IQ points in young children.
Despite the known dangers of lead exposure, the U.S. has been slow to address the issue. Lead hazards have been found in numerous contexts, including shooting ranges, neighborhoods near lead factories, and water systems with lead pipes. The hazards of lead-contaminated shooting ranges have been studied since the 1940s, with reports indicating hazardous levels of lead dust in armories.
Efforts to address lead contamination in armories have been ongoing for decades, with limited success. Many armories still remain contaminated with dangerous amounts of lead dust. Congressional intervention and audits have highlighted the need for urgent action to remediate lead contamination in National Guard armories. Despite these efforts, systemic problems persist, with many armories still not meeting safety standards for lead exposure. The armories failed to clean or replace the heating and ventilation systems, leading to the spread of lead contaminants throughout the centers during operation, as highlighted in a 2020 audit by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Decades of accumulated lead dust were tracked around armories on soldiers’ shoes and dispersed through the systems, as well as spread through weapons cleaning, maintenance, and storage.
In 2015 and 2016, 35 out of 42 New York armories were found to have excessive levels of lead dust on surfaces. During the 2020 audit, investigators found that even after remediation, lead levels still exceeded acceptable thresholds at four armories, including Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory, the Jamaica Armory in Queens, the Saratoga Armory, and Manhattan’s Harlem Armory.
Despite claims by the Division of Military and Naval Affairs that warnings were posted, none of the armories with high lead levels had appropriate signage. This lack of disclosure to the public was deemed unacceptable by Stephen Lynch, New York’s assistant comptroller for state government accountability and a military veteran.
The problem of lead dust exposure in armories has implications for current Guard troops and past military personnel who were exposed. The number of individuals potentially affected by lead dust in armories since the 19th century is significant, with Guard units being required to undergo indoor target practice drills regularly.
The issue of lead contamination has been overlooked for years, according to an EPA official, and there is a call for the Army National Guard to clean up facilities following stricter lead dust standards. It is believed that other states and territories may have similar lead dust problems in their armories, as highlighted in the Army audit.
The National Guard’s lack of transparency regarding the status of armories and their failure to conduct necessary lead dust remediation raises concerns about the extent of the issue across the country. As of 2023, The Intercept is still awaiting remediation documents requested via FOIA.
Discrepancies were found by The Intercept in the National Guard’s data, leading to the continued use of facilities that may still be contaminated with lead dust.
For example, the Manchester armory in New Hampshire has been labeled as “closed” in the IFR but has not undergone remediation, according to the National Guard. Despite this, the armory has been hosting military personnel and civilians, including families with children. Photos published in Stars and Stripes show a large number of National Guard members returning from the Middle East at the facility.
The National Guard’s national database, PRIDE, lists the armory in Hernando, Mississippi, as “closed” but lacks a final clearance document. An audit revealed that many closed IFRs may not meet the criteria for being successfully cleaned and converted, with some facilities still having lead contamination.
In Vermont, the Waterbury armory, cleaned in 2017, is now repurposed as a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. It has also hosted a youth camp and may serve as a homeless shelter in the future. Despite being listed as “closed” in PRIDE, questions remain about the effectiveness of the remediation efforts at this site and others.
The Army Audit made 12 recommendations, including the need for evaluations to identify lead contamination extent and ensuring database accuracy. While some recommendations have been met, critical ones related to lead dust remediation are still pending.
Experts emphasize the importance of verifying the safety of armories and providing concrete proof of remediation efforts due to the lack of protective laws for public buildings compared to residences.
The Army National Guard claims to have addressed lead threats at around 710 IFRs by repurposing them to no longer pose a threat. However, concerns remain about the accuracy and completeness of data related to lead abatement efforts in armories. When asked for a list of such sites, Swiergosz stated that they do not track sites in that manner and were unable to provide a list or an inventory of remediated armories.
In 2019, the PRIDE database listed 1,324 IFRs and 2,911 total armories. However, investigators found that ARNG personnel could not confirm the existence of IFRs at the remaining 1,587 centers. The Army audit revealed that four states had miscounted six IFRs, and the operational status of 25 others was inaccurately recorded in PRIDE. Additionally, one state that was not part of the audit failed to report any IFRs in the PRIDE database but had conducted 29 lead remediation projects.
Remediation efforts do not always guarantee safety. Armories like New York’s Whitestone Armory, Orangeburg, and Staten Island armories underwent lead mitigation projects but were found to have unacceptably high lead levels in subsequent years. State Comptroller’s Office data showed substantial contracts for lead mitigation at these sites.
National Guard armories have served as community centers for decades, hosting various events and activities. The Teaneck Armory in New Jersey, for example, was a popular venue for boxing matches, dog shows, wrestling, tennis, and even political speeches. Over time, it transitioned into a sports arena and concert hall, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Despite its rich history, the Teaneck Armory faced challenges such as accumulating toxic dust in its basement. Lead contamination in armories poses serious health risks, especially to children. Addressing these issues requires consistent testing and enforcement of safety standards.
Lead-Free NJ’s Norton emphasized the long-term health impacts of lead poisoning and the importance of taking action to address these concerns. Making the necessary moral and political choices to address lead contamination in armories is crucial for safeguarding public health. Could you please rephrase that?
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