The Truth About Toxic Water at Camp Lejeune: What You Need To Know.

Victims of Camp Lejeune’s toxic water supply will hopefully get the justice they deserve, if a new law passes. The military base was found to have been leaking cancer-causing chemicals into the water supply beginning in the 1950s until 1987. These chemicals affected about one million veterans and their family members who lived or served at Camp Lejeune during the period. If the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 is passed, victims seeking compensation will find it easier to file water contamination lawsuits.

The Toxic Water at Camp Lejeune

From 1957 to 1987, more than 1 million Marines and their family members were stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. These service members and their loved ones were exposed to water that has been linked with an array of illnesses, including cancer and birth defects.

The water supply at Camp Lejeune was contaminated with four main toxins: vinyl chloride (VC), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and trichloroethylene (TCE). The concentration of these contaminants was up to 400 times higher than what is considered safe today.

Investigations Link Camp Lejeune Toxic Water to Numerous Health Issues and Birth Defects

The ATSDR has uncovered evidence linking the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to numerous health issues and birth defects. This could mean that justice is on the way for the marines who served at the base for the 30-year period.

Toxic chemicals have been linked to cancers and other health problems in people who drank Camp Lejeune’s water. Many veterans who served at the base for at least 30 days and their families are at risk of suffering from bladder cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, breast cancer, and multiple myeloma, among other conditions.

Thousands of pregnant women were also exposed to these contaminants while they were pregnant. This exposure may have increased the risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and birth defects in exposed babies.

The new law will see victims of Camp Lejeune get justice.

This law states that a victim can only file a compensation lawsuit against a polluter within ten years of the polluting activity. Since some diseases associated with contaminants may take decades to show up, many victims may not be able to file claims.

However, Congress has proposed a new federal law known as the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) in response to public outrage. If passed, this law will help victims file a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit and get compensation. The CLJA has already been approved in the House of Representatives. If it passes through the Senate, President Biden will sign it into law.