The Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is home to the II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and a naval hospital. The base and its surrounding community are home to a population of 150,000 people. Between August 1953 and December 1987, veterans and their families and workers living off base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina were exposed to toxic chemicals that have been scientifically linked to serious health concerns. Studies have shown that exposure to toxic chemicals came not only from drinking water, but also from bathing, showering, washing dishes and other daily activities.
On March 3, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act which aimed to improve and provide benefits for veterans exposed to toxins. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act recognizes that military families consumed contaminated drinking water for decades at Camp Lejeune. Runoff from storage tanks, treatment plants and a nearby dry cleaner put Trichlorethylene (TCE), Perchloroethylene (PCE), Benzene and Vinyl Chloride in the water. All are classified by federal agencies as causes of cancer and other deadly diseases.
Many individuals including marines, their spouses, and some children, have been and will forever be affected by this toxic water exposure. Some have been diagnosed with cancer caused directly to the contaminated water. The VA has determined that for those diagnosed with certain diseases listed below, it will be presumed that those diseases were in fact caused by the contaminated water.
Adult Leukemia
Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
Bladder cancer
Kidney cancer
Liver cancer
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Parkinson’s disease
Can you sue for this exposure?
Anyone can sue if they were exposed to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. It must be shown that the exposure to the water occurred for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 to December 31 1987.
An administrative claim form must be submitted within two years after enactment of the Camp Lejeune Act of 2022. Administrative remedies must be exhausted under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) before the filing of any lawsuit; and if a lawsuit is filed, it must be filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
For more information, visit this link from the VA website: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/camp_lejeune_brochure.pdf