Camp LeJeune Justice Act of 2022 – (Pact Act)
“Don’t drink the water.” This is a great adage when you are camping, during wartime, or anytime you don’t know the quality of the water. Yet I never would have thought that this statement would be true at a military base during peacetime. Yet from August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987, it should have applied to the water at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River. For these thirty-four years, the water in various parts of Camp Lejeune was contaminated with Tetrachloroethylene (PERC), a dry cleaning solvent and degreaser.
From this exposure, veterans who lived and served at Camp Lejeune and their families might experience a number of harmful medical effects. The VA recognizes only eight (8) presumptive conditions for which they will grant disability claims. Yet they will possibly pay for care for a total of 15 medical conditions. However, a review of the literature at another site has found that around 36 conditions can be related to the contaminant in the Lejuene well water, including some wide-ranging neurological effects. The lists below will, I hope, provide some clarity. Ironically, this water contaminant has been linked to PTSD. Just what a combat warrior needs.
There are a number of benefits that are available to veterans and their families. The VA can process the veteran for disability for some conditions. They can also provide medical care for other veterans not granted disability for some conditions. In some cases, family members can qualify for care for some conditions. And of course, now service members, families, and civilians who worked or lived in the affected areas can now seek financial compensation via the ability to file a claim and, if necessary, go to court.
Personally, I have already filed my claim. Or I should say I have contacted an attorney to file it for me. As I have learned more, I wonder if contacting the attorney was the best solution for me. Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. This is all very early and clearly new to all involved including veterans and the lawyers. So for now I won’t have an opinion on whether to seek an attorney. For me, it was just a simpler choice. I will write up more about this in separate posts as I learn more.
A very thorough history of the issue can be found at the St. Lawrence Co. Government website – Camp Lejeune Water Contamination History – written in 2009, originally published in the St. Petersburg Times. More information can be found on the Wikipedia page – Camp Lejeune water contamination.
Note: This page is being further developed. There is more to it than meets the eye. Be patient as I add content. Thanks.
Effects of Tetrachloroethylene (per CDC) – the water contaminant
Brief High-Level Exposure (breathing):
Dizziness or drowsiness
Headache
Incoordination
Unconsciousness
Even death
Low-Level Exposure for longer periods – changes in mood, memory, attention, reaction time, and vision.
Animal studies have shown
Liver and kidney effects
Changes in brain chemistry (One study found evidence that early life exposure to PCE-contaminated drinking water has long-term neurotoxic effects. The strongest associations were seen with illicit drug use, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.)
Cancer risks:
Bladder cancer
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Liver cancer
Kidney cancer
Blood system cancers
Some studies suggest an increased risk of babies with birth defects
Map of affected areas
Waiting on permission to use.
Presumptive Conditions (per VA)
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
36 Conditions Mentioned as Possibly Related to Exposure (per ASTDR)
- Aplastic anemia
- Bladder cancer
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cardiac defects
- Cervical cancer
- Chonal atresia (nasal passages blocked with bone or tissue)
- End-stage renal disease
- Esophageal cancer
- Eye defects
- Fetal death
- Hodgkins disease
- Impaired immune system function
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemias
- Liver cancer
- Liver cirrhosis
- Low birth weight
- Lung cancer
- Major malformations
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neural tube defects
- Neurobehavioral performance deficits (i.e., delayed recall and deficits in visual perception), decreased blink reflex, and mood effects (i.e., confusion, depression and tension)
- Neurological effects (delayed reaction times problems with short-term memory, visual perception, attention, and color vision)
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Oral cleft defects (including cleft lip)
- Ovarian cancer
- Parkinson disease
- Prostate cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Scleroderma
- Severe, generalized hypersensitivity skin disorder (an autoimmune-related disease)
- Small for gestational age
- Soft tissue cancer
Who is Eligible for VA Disability in these cases?
Per the VA Site:
“You may be eligible for disability compensation payments on a presumptive basis if you meet all of these requirements. These requirements apply to Veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members.
Both of these descriptions must be true:
– You served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, North Carolina, for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and
– You didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge when you separated from the military”
AND
Have one of the VA’s listed preexisting conditions
Who Else Eligible for Compensation and/or Medical Care?
VA Medical Care – Service Members (Per VA site)
If you meet the service requirements for Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible to enroll in VA health care. If you have any of the 15 covered health conditions listed here, you won’t have to pay a copay for care for that condition.
Here are the 15 covered conditions related to Camp Lejeune:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
VA Medical Care – Family Members (Per VA site)
We may pay for or reimburse health care costs related to certain conditions if you meet all of these requirements.
All of these descriptions must be true:
You must:
- Be or have been a family member (meaning the birth or adopted child, married spouse, or otherwise a legal dependent) of a Veteran who served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, North Carolina, and
- Have lived (or have been in utero while your mother lived) at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, North Carolina, for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and
- Apply for and be approved for benefits under current law
Note: “In utero” means that your mother was pregnant with you at the time.
We may pay for or reimburse for care related to these conditions:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
How to Apply for Benefits/Compensation?
VA Disability Benefits (page under development)
Navy JAG’s Filing Claims Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act OF 2022 Page
Camp Lejeune Family Benefits
Lawsuit Process Diagram
Awaiting permission to use.
Important Additional Questions and Answers
- Any awards from the lawsuits WILL NOT affect your VA disability benefits
- Any claim denied under an old tort claim MUST be refiled
Questions Going forward
- How do you determine the amount you want to request based on your claim?
- One of the sites references that “the most highly contaminated wells were shut down in February 1985.” So the question is are there any wells that are still contaminated and being used for base drinking water? If so, why and what are the ongoing safety factors?
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Links
VA’s Camp Lejeune water contamination health issues
National Academies’ Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune book
CDC’s ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) Lejuene Page
White House Fact Sheet on the PACT Act
Wikipedia PACT Act Article
ASTDR – ToxFAQs™ for Tetrachloroethylene (PERC)
ASTDR – Health effects linked with trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride exposure
Semper Fi – Always Faithful – A Documentary about the Lejeune Water Contamination