Many people have heard of the diseases associated with Camp Lejeune. Camp Lejeune is a current training base for the Marines, and was once home to thousands of people that worked in local hospitals, daycare centers, and even lived on the base. Unfortunately, many of these people were exposed to toxic chemicals in the base, and now face diseases associated with Camp Lejeune Water.
Below are some of the many diseases that were caused by the toxic water, how these diseases have affected veterans and their families, and what you can do to help veterans that are victims of the Camp Lejeune contaminated water.
Toxic Water Supplies
From 1953 to 1987, two wells in the base were found to have toxic levels of solvents in the water. These solvents are traditionally used to break down compounds or for other highly toxic purposes.
Such chemicals include:
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Perchloroethylene (PCE)
- Benzene
- Vinyl chloride
- Other compounds
Unfortunately, these chemicals are extremely toxic to people. Imagine having solvents that are used in industries such as manufacturing and dry-cleaning leak in your water supply.
For years, people drank this contaminated water and suffered from the diseases below.
Diseases From Camp Lejeune Water
The military now recognizes certain diseases that are associated with toxic water. In short, if you or a loved one have a disease such as:
- 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
And your family member was exposed to the toxic water at the base for 30 days or more between 1953 and 1987, chances are the two are completely related.
Sadly, one of the biggest issues caused by the contaminated water was infertility. Infertility might be difficult to detect, especially if a woman had sporadic miscarriages throughout her life after living on base. However, it’s important to note that infertility issues could have been caused by the toxic water at Camp Lejeune, well before a woman was ever pregnant.
Other devastating diseases include certain cancers, such as breast cancer. Even men were affected by breast cancer as a direct result of the contaminated water supply in Camp Lejeune.
How You Can Help
Fortunately, the new PACT act signed into effect by President Biden on August 8, 2022, allowed people to file for VA disability benefits if they were exposed to the toxic water supply in Camp Lejeune. This ability to file for benefits extends to civilians, reservists, national guardsmen, and active duty military personnel.
If you know that your loved one lived on Camp Lejeune and drank their water for more than 30 days, it’s best to get them the compensation they deserve through filing a lawsuit. Your loved one can work with a lawyer to file a disability claim with the VA. If the claim is denied, they can then pursue legal action such as an appeal or civil lawsuit in court.
