Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water

Volatile organic compounds were detected at Camp Lejeune in 1982 and traced to drinking water coming from two of the eight water treatment plants on the base. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports that from 1953 to 1985 the systems that supplied drinking water to two housing areas at Camp Lejeune were contaminated with industrial chemicals. Although the VA states that exposure dosage and duration, as well as geographic breadth of contamination, are yet to be determined, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has published research to help answer these questions, determine service-connection for related health problems, and devise policy changes to prevent such an occurrence from happening again. In May 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill creating an exception to the rule that the U.S. government is not liable for servicemembers’ injuries. Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, service members and their families are permitted to bring legal action to seek financial relief for their injuries/illnesses resulting from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.