Thousands of families who lived at Camp Lejeune await the U.S. Senate’s decision on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation last month, which moved the bill to the Senate for review. If the proposed legislation is approved by the Senate and becomes law, it will allow those who suffer injuries from contaminated water exposure to pursue legal action against the government.August 6, 2022 Update: U.S Senate passes Camp LeJeune
US Senate will decide fate of Camp Lejeune Survivors
The U.S. Senate will hence decide the fate of Camp Lejeune survivors. Those injured by toxic water at Camp Lejeune may wish to contact their US senators and urge them to pass H.R. 6482, which was designed to compensate former Camp Lejeune residents injured by the camp’s contaminated water. Interested parties can find their senators’ contact information here. Those who lived or worked at the camp and suffered deleterious effects from contaminated water exposure can let their senators know by email and phone how they feel about the proposed legislation.
Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune
The Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina was established in 1942. Forty years later, the Marine Corps determined that two of the water treatment facilities providing water to the base had been contaminated with volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
Specifically, the Tarawa Terrace treatment plant was contaminated with PCE (perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene). The EPA maximum containment level of this organic compound is 5 parts per billion(ppb) in drinking water. The maximum level of contamination at Tarawa Terrace was 215 ppb.
The government determined that the water had been contaminated for a total of 346 months by a nearby off-base dry cleaning company.
The other treatment plant, Hadnot Point, was contaminated with TCE (trichloroethylene). The current EPA approval for TCE in drinking water is 5 ppb. At its highest point, the contamination at Hadnot Point was measured at 1,400 ppb. Multiple sources are believed to have caused this contamination, including storage tank leaks, industrial spills, and improper water disposal practices.
Camp Lejeune Veterans Suffer Devastating Injuries
For more than three decades, the residents who lived on the Camp Lejeune base were exposed to high levels of PCE and TCE. Exposure to these chemicals has been known to cause diseases and medical disorders that include:
- Kidney Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
- Lung Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Birth Defects
- Miscarriages
Camp Lejeune Birth Defects
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began a study in 2003. ATSDR published the results of that study in 2013. The findings showed that children born to mothers who drank contaminated water at Camp Lejeune were four times more likely to be born with a birth defect.
Victims May Soon Be Eligible to Take Legal Action
North Carolina has a strict statute of repose which currently prevents those who were exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune from taking legal action. This questionable law states that once a certain period of time passes — ten years in this case– a victim can no longer seek legal recourse for injuries.
If the Senate approves the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, that NC law will be eclipsed.
Those who have suffered the side effects caused by PCE and TCE will be allowed to fight for justice and monetary compensation. This compensation could help pay for years of medical treatments and lost wages, as well as physical and emotional trauma.
Anyone who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. Veterans and current military personnel, their families, employees and unborn children who were present at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987. Contact us today.
RELATED
- Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
- Navy to deny all claims related to Water Contamination
by Matthews & Associates
