Anyone Who Was Stationed at, Lived, or Worked on Camp Lejeune from 1957 to 1987 May Suffer from Toxic Exposure

For 30 years (1957-1987), Marines, contractors, and their families who worked and lived at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina were exposed to contaminated water every time they bathed in or drank water sourced from the base’s wells. These were no small exposures, either.

During the thirty-year period in question, Camp Lejeune’s water wells had toxic contaminations in concentrations that ranged from 240- to 3,400-times permitted safety standards. Despite warnings from as early as 1980 that the water was contaminated, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) did not seek an official investigation into the contamination until 1982.

That official investigation in 1982 also concluded there was a high concentration of toxins in the water supply. That official investigation in 1982 was also ignored.

The USMC and, later, the U.S. government buried, ignored, and withheld vital information from the very people entrusted to keep the country safe. Everyone knows joining any armed service branch might involve putting one’s life on the line. But it was not supposed to be like this. One’s own country was not supposed to be the perpetrator.

And this matter—especially at toxic concentrations 240- to 3,400-times acceptable levels—was absolutely one of life and death.

The Marines and their family members affected by the toxic-water exposure at Camp Lejeune deserve justice. They deserve to be heard. And they deserve compensation for any harms caused by living or working at Camp Lejeune. For a free consultation and more information, call our experienced toxic exposure attorney’s today: 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529).

The Toxic Exposure at Camp Lejeune

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are just one of many forms of toxic exposure, but they are themselves specific contaminants of groundwater through careless industrial practices. The term “VOCs” is but a catchall for a few types of harmful chemicals.

Many VOCs were not known to be harmful until the late 1960s, but that was still well before regular testing of groundwater was standard practice in the United States.

Camp Lejeune VOCs:

• Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
• Trichloroethylene (TCE)

Some of us might know the abbreviation for tetrachloroethylene, “PCE,” as a chemical used in the dry cleaning of clothes. Tetrachloroethylene is a wonderful chemical for the dry cleaning process as it is an excellent solvent for organic materials and a highly stable, nonflammable chemical.

However, being great for cleaning one’s clothes does not mean it is great as a mixer in your bathing or drinking water.

In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a branch within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has a “best practices” guide for people within the dry cleaning industry as they have much more exposure at much higher concentrations for a significantly longer period of time than someone who simply wears clothes that have been dry cleaned.

Trichloroethylene, on the other hand, is most widely used as a cleaning agent for metal parts. It is most effective at degreasing metal.

Both of these VOCs were found in the groundwater at Camp Lejeune. Both of these VOCs can lead to severe side effects when exposure is in high concentrations over an extended period of time and especially when ingested.

The Harmful (and Fatal) Effects of VOCs at Camp Lejeune

Volatile organic compounds have been linked to moderate to severe birth defects when a pregnant mother is exposed as well as development deficiencies when a nursing mother or child is severely exposed.

Of course, with such toxic chemicals in such high concentrations (240- to 3,400-times safety standards), it was not just women and children who would be harmed.

In a January 2014 report, the CDC linked water contamination to camp Lejeune to severe birth and developmental defects, several types of cancers, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Further reporting has linked toxic exposure to Camp Lejeune to other major ailments and diseases.

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
• Birth defects
• Brain damage
• Fatty liver disease
• Miscarriage
• Parkinson’s disease
• Vision loss

Cancers linked to toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune include, but are not limited to:

• Breast cancer (including men)
• Childhood cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Lung cancer

Contact Our Experienced Camp Lejeune Attorneys Today

The Yost Legal Group is committed to helping the veterans, families, and other victims of the wrongs committed at Camp Lejeune seek the justice they deserve.

Now, with the new laws passed and signed in 2022, we are considering all cases wherein a person who worked, lived, or was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina between the years of 1957 and 1987 and has suffered adverse side effects such as, but not limited to, the ones mentioned above or death as a result of such a disease.

There is no time to delay. If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of the toxic exposure at Camp LejEune, call our experienced toxic exposure attorneys today: 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529).