What is the Camp Lejeune lawsuit?

For decades, tens of thousands of service members, civilian contractors, and military families living and working at Camp Lejeune were exposed to cancer-causing substances in their drinking water. Now, thousands of military veterans, military family members, and former contractors have been diagnosed with reproductive issues, congenital disabilities, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and other severe medical conditions due to contaminated water. The federal government just admitted that Camp Lejeune’s water sources had been contaminated from 1953 through 1987.

The two primary water distribution and treatment plants, Hadna Point and Tarawa Terrace provided the contaminated drinking water to Camp Lejeune’s main base, temporary housing areas, family housing, daycares, barracks, hospitals, and schools.

The federal government stated that Camp Lejeune’s drinking water was contaminated with industrial solvents, benzene, and cancer-causing chemicals at levels 240 to 3,400 times the permissible limit from 1953 until 1987. Camp Lejeune’s drinking water was also contaminated with dangerous, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including TCE (Trichloroethylene), PCE (perchloroethylene), and other toxic chemicals.

These dangerous substances have been connected with cancer and other severe health problems. Marines who were stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987 have a 35% increased risk of developing kidney cancer, a 47% increased chance of being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a 42% increased risk of liver cancer, and a 68% increased risk of multiple myeloma. There are several cancers connected with the Camp Lejeune water contamination issue, including bladder cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia. Contaminated Camp Lejeune drinking water has been linked to hepatic steatosis, ALS, myelodysplastic syndromes, renal toxicity, female infertility, miscarriages, scleroderma, and neurobehavioral effects.