Sadly it has come to light that thousands of innocent Marines and their family were exposed to toxic and contaminated water found at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina from 1953 – 1987. It is estimated that as many as 3.5 million people may have been impacted. These innocent people were apparently drinking, bathing in, and cooking with contaminated water. In the 1980s water testing uncovered that the water was actually contaminated with highly toxic chemicals. In response, Congress in 2022 passed a bill signed into law by President Biden called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (also known as the PACT Act) that provides for compensation to those individuals and families that were injured there. Pact stands for Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act.

Testing of the water revealed that countless innocent people were exposed to this harmful water and as a result, developed very serious personal injuries including cancer, and other health problems. It was not the Marines that were stationed there that were exposed, but also the family members of these Marines also became sick.

Many different dangerous chemicals and contaminants have been discovered at Camp Lejeune and these can cause serious and deadly cancer, as well as other types of sickness and diseases.

What Exactly Was Wrong With the Water?

It has been discovered that the water at Camp Lejeune had the following contaminants:

  • Benzene
  • Vinyl chloride
  • Trichloroethylene (TCE)
  • Perchloroethylene (PCE)
  • Other disease-causing chemicals

What Illnesses and Disease Did the Water Cause to People?

Diseases Caused by the Contaminated Water may include some or all of the following illnesses and diseases:

  • Leukemia
  • Aplastic Anemia and More Myelodysplastic Syndromes
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Breast Caner
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Female Infertility
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Appendix Cancer
  • Brain Cancer
  • Bile Duct Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Gallbladder Cancer
  • Intestinal Cancer
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Sinus Cancer
  • Soft Tissue Sarcoma
  • Spinal Cancer
  • Thyroid Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Hepatic Steatosis (Fatty Liver Disease)
  • Miscarriage
  • Neurobehavioral Effects
  • Multiple Myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Renal Failure (Permanent)
  • Death
  • Scleroderma
  • Miscarriages
  • Stillbirths
  • Birth defects

Who Are the Claims Against?

These are claims filed for financial compensation against the United States Federal Government. Billions of dollars have been set aside by the government to pay money to those people that were exposed to, and got sick as a result, from exposure to contaminated water.

Who Can File a Claim for Compensation?

The following people may be eligible to file a claim for compensation stemming from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune from 1953-1987 of they lived or worked there for at least 30 days, and can show they became sick with cancer or disease because of their exposure to the water:

  • Marines
  • Family members of Marines
  • Civilian Contractors
  • Surviving family members who lost a family member due to toxic water exposure