Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit

This section contains news about Camp Lejeune lawsuits and what plaintiffs can expect going forward. This section was last updated on: August 10, 2022.

August 10, 2022: President Biden has signed the Honoring our Pact Act into law.

August 3, 2022: The Senate has approved the Honoring our Pact Act of 2021. It is now awaiting President Biden’s signature before it  becomes law.

July 15, 2022: The US House of Representatives voted in favor of an amended version of the Honoring our Pact Act of 2021 which removed a provision on tax treatment of healthcare professionals. This is to help fast-track the bill’s approval and avoid a lengthy process in the Senate.

June 16, 2022: The Senate approves the bill with some amendments and is now waiting for the president’s signature before it becomes law.

March 2022:The bill is passed in the house and moves to the Senate.

February 28, 2022: The CLJA is merged into another bill which is renamed the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2021. The bill will provide additional health care benefits and will allow veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals during their service to file lawsuits.

January 25, 2022: The Camp Lejeune Act (CLJA) of 2022 is submitted in the House of Representatives.

Camp Lejeune is one of the marine corps’ largest base camps. It is located in North Carolina and spans 246 square miles. It was constructed in 1941 and is used for a variety of military training and as a housing area for marines and their families. The camp has underground water storage tanks which supply the whole base.

Due to years of unregulated dumping of solvents including oil, industrial waste, and possibly radioactive chemicals near the base wells, Camp Lejeune’s water supply was contaminated with several chemicals. The camp’s water supply comes from two sources, the Hadnot Point Treatment Plant and the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant. Toxic chemicals were found in both treatment plants. The contamination started as early as 1953 until 1985, when the water tanks were shut down, but the water was deemed clear from contaminants only in 1987.

It is estimated that about 500,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants found in the water supply.

Routine sampling from Camp Lejeune’s water treatment plants showed 4 chemicals that contaminated their drinking water supply:

• Trichloroethylene (TCE)

Trichloroethylene is a nonflammable colorless liquid that is used as a solvent for cleaning and degreasing metal parts and as a component in making other chemicals, such as refrigerants. It can evaporate quickly in air but can stay a long time in soil and water since evaporation is the only way to break it down.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to high levels of TCE can cause facial nerve damage, heartbeat irregularities, liver and kidney damage. There is evidence that exposure to TCE in the workplace can cause scleroderma, a condition where the immune system attacks the connective tissues under the skin and around internal organs, while men who were exposed showed a decrease in sperm quality and reproductive hormone levels. Human studies also show that TCE has developmental effects like spontaneous abortion, birth defects, and small birth weight. 

• Tetrachloroethylene or Perchloroethylene (PCE or PERC)

Tetrachloroethylene or Perchloroethylene is a nonflammable colorless chemical used for dry cleaning and as a solvent for metal degreasing. It breaks down slowly in air, water, and soil.

The CDC lists unconsciousness and mood, memory, attention, and vision changes as effects of high-level exposure to PCE. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers PCE as a probable carcinogen in humans.

• Vinyl Chloride

Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas used in the manufacturing of plastic products, including pipes, wire and cable coatings, and packaging materials. It breaks down quickly when exposed to soil and water if it is near the surface.

According to the CDC, liver changes are observed in people who breathed vinyl chloride for several years, while some people who were exposed at work had nerve damage and immune reactions. The Department of Health and Human Services categorizes vinyl chloride as a known carcinogen, linked with increased risk of developing liver, barin, lung, and blood cancer.

• Benzene

Benzene is a colorless liquid used in a lot of manufacturing plants for a variety of products, including rubbers, dyes, detergents, lubricants, pesticides, and medicine. It can break down in the air for a few days, but breaks down more slowly in soil and water.

High levels of benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, rapid heart rate, and headaches. Continued exposure to benzene has been linked with harmful effects to the  bone marrow, causing lower levels of blood cell and plasma production leading to anemia, infections, and excessive bleeding. Women exposed to benzene experienced irregular menstrual patterns and decrease in ovary sizes. Both the Department of Health and Human Services and the IARC consider benzene as a human carcinogen.

If you or a loved one was stationed in Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987, and developed cancer or other health issues, Maxwell Law Group can help get you the compensation you deserve. Call (844) 525-7155 or fill out the form below and we’ll investigate your case at no charge to you.