Service members, their families, and civilian employees at the Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina were exposed to contaminated water from 1953 to 1987. The base’s water supply contained chemicals that may cause cancer, birth defects, autoimmune disorders, and several other health problems.
Those affected by the hazardous chemicals identified at Camp Lejeune previously attempted to bring claims against the United States government, but a North Carolina statute barred them from doing so. However, with the passing of the highly anticipated Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, individuals can now file Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits.
About the Camp Lejeune Military Base
Camp Lejeune is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Established in 1942, it was one of the largest U.S. Marine Corps bases in the United States, spanning 236 square miles. The base consisted of housing, training facilities, and logistical support, with fifteen different sections for family and bachelor housing.
A total of eight water distribution systems supplied fresh drinking water to the base via groundwater. The wells collected and pumped groundwater to a water treatment plant on a “cycled” basis, meaning only certain wells supplied water to the treatment plant at a given time.
Polluted Water Treatment Plants at Camp Lejeune
Three of Camp Lejeune’s water treatment plants were affected by dangerous chemicals. These water treatment plants are Hadnot Point (est. 1942), Tarawa Terrace (est. 1952), and Holcomb Boulevard.
There are several sources responsible for the contamination of these water treatment plants. ABC One-Hour Cleaners, a dry-cleaning plant near the Tarawa Terrace, contributed to the pollution of that water treatment plant. The cleaners used a toxic chemical known as Perchloroethylene (PCE) as a dry-cleaning solvent. PCE leaked into the soil and was improperly disposed of, contaminating the Tarawa Terrace plant, which served roughly 5,814 people a year.
In addition to ABC One-Hour Cleaners, underground fuel tanks leaked approximately 1,500 gallons of fuel each month, contaminating both Hadnot Point and the Holcomb Boulevard water treatment plants. Hadnot Point served schools, industrial and recreational areas, and the base hospital.
Also, improper waste disposal of solvents used to clean weaponry and machinery further polluted these water treatment plants.
The Chemicals Identified at Camp Lejeune
Water testing revealed various colorless chemicals in the water supply at Camp Lejeune. The primary contaminants include:
- Perchloroethylene (PCE) – used for dry cleaning and metal degreasing
- Trichloroethylene (TCE) – solvent used to clean metal parts
- Benzene – used to synthesize other chemicals
- Vinyl Chloride – PCE and TCE degrade into vinyl chloride over time
The levels of these chemicals far exceeded the limits established by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PCE, TCE, and benzene is 5 μg/L (parts per billion). Testing discovered levels 240 to 3,400 times above the threshold considered acceptable by the EPA.
For example, at Tarawa Terrace, the maximum level of TCE detected in drinking water was 215 μg/L in February 1985 and 1,400 μg/L at Hadnot Point in May 1982.
The EPA placed Camp Lejeune on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989 due to the extent of the contamination.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Injuries
The chemicals uncovered in the Camp Lejeune water supply are connected to numerous cancers, autoimmune disorders, reproductive issues, birth defects, and more medical conditions. Prolonged exposure to unsafe amounts of PCE, TCE, benzene, and vinyl chloride may have caused such injuries as:
- Appendix cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer
- Bile duct cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Gallbladder cancer
- Intestinal cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Hodgkin’s Disease
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Sinus cancer
- Soft tissue sarcoma
- Spinal cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Any other unlisted cancer
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Aplastic anemia (and other myelodysplastic syndromes)
- Autoimmune diseases
- Hepatic steatosis (Fatty Liver Disease)
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Parkinson’s disease
- Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Cardiac defects
- Birth defects: choanal atresia, eye defects, low birth weight, neural tube defects, and oral cleft defects.
- Major fetal malformations
- Conjoined twins
- Congenital malformation (microcephaly)
- Female infertility
- Miscarriage/fetal death
The Veterans Administration has a more limited scope of qualifying conditions related to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022
North Carolina’s statute of repose previously stood in the way of individuals filing Camp Lejeune lawsuits.
At one point, 800 Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). However, a federal judge dismissed these cases under North Carolina’s 10-year statute of repose, which prohibits filing a tort suit more than ten years after the defendant’s last act.
The passage of the Honoring our PACT Act in August 2022 opened the door for Camp Lejeune plaintiffs. The PACT Act broadened eligibility requirements and healthcare access for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during service. Included under the PACT Act was the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (CLJA), which provided legal recourse to those exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The CLJA allows an individual or the legal representative of an individual who served, worked, lived, or was otherwise exposed to the contaminated water at the military base for 30 days or more between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, to file a cause of action in court. This act applies to service members, civilian contractors, families, representatives of the deceased, and even those exposed in utero.
Status of Camp Lejeune Litigation
Prior to filing a lawsuit, individuals must submit an administrative claim to the Navy’s Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG). The Navy then has six months to consider the presented claim. Once the claimant exhausts the administrative requirements, either by receiving a written denial or when six months have passed, they can file a Camp Lejeune action in court.
In September 2022, the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy’s Tort Claims Unit in Norfolk reported it received 5,000 administrative Camp Lejeune claims in the month since the passing of the CLJA.
February 10, 2023, was the six-month deadline for the JAG to respond to Camp Lejeune administrative claims. This expiration saw dozens of lawsuits filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. As of September 2023, there are over 1,100 Camp Lejeune lawsuits pending. However, this number only reflects eligible claims that have met the six-month waiting period requirement. There are over 93,000 administrative claims filed with the JAG.
Over 1 million people may have been affected by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune. Attorneys estimate that as many as 500,000 individuals may file Camp Lejeune lawsuits, surpassing filings for 3M earplugs, currently the largest mass tort to date.
Camp Lejeune Settlements and Verdicts
We are still in the early phases of this litigation. Therefore, there are no Camp Lejeune verdicts or settlements currently.