On June 16, 2022, the United States Senate passed the Camp Lejuene Justice Act, a significant step in advancing the rights of military members, their families, and those who worked and/or spent time on the Camp Lejuene military base. The bill (H.R. 2192) has bipartisan support, and provides affected people the right to sue the U.S. government for injuries sustained by the contaminated water.
Camp Lejuene is a military base in North Carolina. From 1953 to 1987, the water at Camp Lejuene was contaminated with carcinogens at nearly 300 times the safe level. These toxins included trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and benzene. Military members, family members living on base, workers on base, and contractors were all exposed to these dangerous toxins. Research by the EPA has determined that the toxins cause various types of cancers (including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, multiple myeloma, leukemia, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer in men and women, rectal cancer, prostate cancer, and brain/central nervous system cancer), as well as Parkinson’s disease, cardiac defects, and systemic sclerosis. This is because the Camp Lejuene personnel were exposed to the toxins in their drinking water, cooking water, and from taking showers.
The bipartisan Camp Lejuene Justice Act permits anyone who stayed or visited Camp Lejuene for at least 30 days from 1952 to 1987 to file a lawsuit against the United States. This is because evidence has been developed that shows the United States knew about the contaminated water and failed to intervene. The Act passed out of the Senate and now needs to pass through the house, which is expected to happen any day. President Biden is then expected to sign the Camp Lejuene Justice Act into law immediately thereafter.
If you or a loved one stayed or lived at Camp Lejuene for at least 30 days between 1952 and 1987 and developed any of the cancers or problems described above, please call or contact us today for more information.
