Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit

Between 1953 – 1987, the drinking water at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina was contaminated. For over three decades, our military service members, their families, and the camp workers were exposed to drinking water highly contaminated with dangerous, cancer-causing chemicals.

If you or a family member was exposed to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune between 1953 – 1987, contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.

Get a Free Case Evaluation

Now Taking Camp Lejeune Toxic Exposure Cases

The Camp Lejeune water contamination from 1957 through 1987 led to serious illness in residents. Anyone exposed to the toxic substances may be entitled to compensation for their injuries.

The toxic exposure lawyers at Reich & Binstock are here to represent affected veterans and their families. We offer an initial free consultation, and we don’t get a cent unless we secure a recovery for you. Call today at 866-529-2400 to schedule

Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 Signed Into Law

On August 10, 2022, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was signed into law on a bipartisan basis as part of the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. The PACT Act focuses on addressing issues affecting veterans who were exposed to toxic materials during service.

Injured veterans and their family members had been denied justice for far too long. However, with this new law, anyone exposed to contaminated water can now seek compensation by filing a Camp Lejeune lawsuit.

To be eligible, an individual (including non-veterans) must have resided, worked, or otherwise been exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune (including in utero exposure) for at least 30 days during the period beginning August 1, 1953, and ending December 31, 1987.

Chemicals in the Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water

The link between the toxic chemicals in the water at Camp Lejeune and various health conditions has been established by scientific and medical evidence. The dangerous chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the water have been specifically linked to certain types of cancer, as well as other health risks.

To give an idea of how toxic the water was, personnel at the Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point treatment plants were exposed to more than 3,000 times the EPA’s maximum safe level of exposure.

Below, we outline the toxic VOCs found in the contaminated Camp Lejeune water:

Perchloroethylene (PCE)

By far, the most devastating chemical was perchloroethylene, or PCE. It has been the most significant cause of illness and death as a result of the contamination. The chemical is widely used in dry cleaning and can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, or dermal contact. It attacks the central nervous system and various organs, and settles in the fat cells of the body. For 346 months, the Tarawa Terrace treatment center had dangerously high levels of PCE. But just how high were those levels?

The EPA explains that the maximum safe level for PCE in drinking water is 5 ug/L. The highest level of PCE contamination at Tarawa Terrace was 215 ug/L.

That’s 43 times the maximum safe level of PCE.

PCE Injuries

Strong evidence has linked PCE with a variety of ailments, including the following.

Liver problems
Kidney problems
Bladder cancer
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Trichloroethylene (TCE)

Trichloroethylene is used as a degreaser, as well as in the making of refrigerants, fumigants, and other compounds. Exposure happens mostly through inhalation and dermal contact. Once it gets into the bloodstream, it reaches the major organs and settles into the fat cells. Much like at Tarawa Terrace, the Hadnot Point water treatment center was badly contaminated with TCE.

The EPA explains that the maximum safe level for TCE in drinking water is 5ppb. The highest level of TCE contamination at Hadnot Point was 1,400 ppb.

That’s 280 times the maximum safe level of TCE.

TCE Birth Defects

Notably, TCE has been linked to certain birth defects at Camp Lejeune. This is partially because TCE is able to cross the placenta and affect the fetus. Studies show that there is a strong link between congenital heart defects and exposure of mothers to TCE during pregnancy.

Benzene

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It is widely used as a chemical in a number of lubricants, rubbers, plastics, dyes, pesticides, drugs, and more. Generally, benzene exposure is linked to different types of leukemia, as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Toluene

Certain workers at Camp Lejeune were exposed to Toluene, which is frequently used in paint, metal cleaners, and adhesives. Exposure happens via inhalation, getting it on the skin, swallowing it, or getting it in the eyes. Studies show that exposure increases the risks of lung cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, and bladder cancer.

Vinyl Chloride

Vinyl chloride is a cancer-causing gas that is highly flammable. It is a man-made substance used primarily for the production of PVC products. It also occurs in tobacco smoke. Exposure to the substance is linked to higher rates of certain cancers.

Camp Lejeune
Water Contamination Timeline

1952

Tarawa Terrace Water Treatment Plant Begin Operations

The housing development, Tarawa Terrace, begins operations, including its water treatment system, which was built to provide clean water to the residents of Tarawa Terrace. This was one of two major treatment facilities that were responsible for distributing the contaminated water.

1952

1953

ABC One-Hour Cleaners Opens

ABC One-Hour Cleaners opens across the street from Tarawa Terrace. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is a dry cleaning solvent that was one of the primary Camp Lejeune water contaminants. Because of the improper waste disposal practices at ABC One-Hour Cleaners, PCE leaked into the base’s water supply. The septic tank system on the property released the chemical into soil and groundwater, and PCE was also buried onsite. As a result, the contaminant poisoned a water treatment plant that served Tarawa Terrace.

This is the year Hadnot Point’s drinking water system was affected by toxic chemicals. The contamination primarily resulted from leaking underground storage tanks as well as oil and other waste disposed of improperly, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

1953

1957

Water Contaminated by Toxins

A few years later, according to ATSDR, the Tarawa Terrace water treatment system is contaminated by toxins from the neighboring business ABC One-Hour Dry Cleaners.

1957

1979

EPA Releases Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases its standards for THMs, a by-product of drinking water disinfection, and also recommended drinking water levels for TCE, a solvent used in the dry cleaning industry.

1979

1980-1981

Water Testing Reveals Contamination

The Marine Corps sampled drinking water at Camp Lejeune to test for certain chemicals in the water, per EPA standards. However, this testing revealed “other chemicals [that] interfered with results” of the tests.

1980-1981

1982-1984

Water Testing Reveals Contamination

The Marine Corps identified the contaminants trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene or PCE), detected at levels above the EPA standards for safe drinking water. These chemicals were identified in the water supply of two of the eight water treatment plants on the base in 1982 – Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point water treatment facilities.

The Navy begins an environmental cleanup program at Camp Lejeune and as part of the effort, water wells near the known contaminated sites were tested.

1982-1984

1985-1987

Government Shuts Down Contaminated Water Plants

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) moves forward with the time-consuming process of removing contaminated wells from service. The process takes more than two years to complete.

This is another critical date under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, as December 31, 1987, ends the eligibility period under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act for people to be eligible to file a lawsuit.

1985-1987

1989

Camp Lejeune Declared Superfund Site

The Environmental Protection Agency declares Camp Lejeune and ABC One-Hour Cleaners to be Superfund sites. “Superfund” is another term for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). It allows for the cleanup of contaminated sites.

1989

1991

ATSDR Begins Risk Assessment

The ATSDR begins a multi-year look at the risk to children whose mothers were exposed to contaminated water during pregnancy at Camp Lejeune. This study is published in 2001 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

1991

1999-2002

Survey Conducted to Identify Children Affected

ATSDR conducts a telephone survey designed to identify selected birth defects and childhood cancers in children affected by the Camp Lejeune water. Many of the respondents are learning for the first time that they could be a victim of Camp Lejeune water contamination.

1999-2002

2003

Survey Finds 106 Children Affected

ATSDR completes its childhood cancer and birth defect survey of children who had been exposed to the contaminated water, finding 106 children had specific birth defects and cancers.

2003

2008

President Signs Bill for Further Investigation

President George W. Bush signs the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Department of the Navy to conduct a health survey of people exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

2008

2009

First Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Filed

Laura Jones, the wife of a former Marine, became the first person to file a lawsuit against the United States government over the water contamination at Camp Lejeune. Jones and her husband lived at Camp Lejeune from 1980 to 1983.

In her Camp Lejeune lawsuit, Jones claimed that she was exposed to dangerous chemicals through the Camp’s water supply, including TCE, PCE, DCE, vinyl chloride, and benzene. She alleged that this exposure led her to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

2009

2012

President Signs Jamie Ensminger Act for Camp Lejeune Veterans & Families

President Barack Obama signs the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act (Janey Ensminger Act) making it possible for military service members impacted by the water contamination to more easily receive health care through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Any veteran who served on active duty at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1987, and their family members, could receive medical services if they suffered from any of 15 listed cancers and other illnesses or conditions.

The illnesses were: esophageal cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, multiple myeloma, renal toxicity, female infertility, scleroderma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, hepatic steatosis, miscarriage and neurobehavioral effects.

2012

2016

More than 800 Lawsuits Filed

More than 800 water contamination lawsuits are filed through the Federal Tort Claims Act. In December, the MDL court dismissed the Camp Lejeune FTCA claims under North Carolina’s statute of repose, which is 10 years.

2016

2017

Additional $2 Billion Available For Those Impacted

An additional $2 billion is made available to veterans, reservists, and National Guard members who were impacted by the water contamination. To receive the disability assistance, the individual has to be suffering from one of eight diseases including kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, adult leukemia, multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease, aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes or bladder cancer.

2017

2019

All 4,400 Appeals Denied

Based on the 2016 dismissal of FTCA claims by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Department of Navy denies all 4,400 claims. Thousands of Camp Lejeune victims now have no compensation.

2019

2021

Camp Lejeune Justice Act Introduced

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives removes many barriers that prevented service members and their families from receiving financial compensation for harm from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.

2021

2022

Camp Lejeune Justice Act Signed Into Law

As part of the Honoring Our PACT Act 2022 (PACT Act), the Camp Lejeune Justice Act is approved on August 2, 2022.

On August 10, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the bill into law, giving a potential claimant two years to file a lawsuit and seek justice from the U.S. Government for damages related to exposure to contaminated water.

With the passing of this legislation, veterans, their families and civilians who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune from 1953 and 1987 for 30 or more days and developed certain health conditions are now able to file Camp Lejeune lawsuits for financial compensation for lost wages, medical costs, and pain and suffering. Those who had loved ones die as a result of an illness linked to the toxins in Camp Lejeune’s water may also be able to file a lawsuit.

2022

We Stand For You.

We Don't Just Work for Clients. We Empower Survivors.

Our nationally recognized pharmaceutical litigation and sexual abuse attorneys are ready to represent you.

About Our Firm

For more than 30 years, our firm has handled complex cases that require a high degree of discretion and skill. We will stop at nothing to unearth every possible piece of evidence and recognize legal opportunities that would leverage your case.

If you or a loved one has been affected by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, our attorneys are committed to helping you and your family seek the compensation, reimbursement and recovery you deserve. We are compassionate and dedicated advocates who want to help you seek compensation for your senseless suffering.