As many as one million people may have been exposed to toxic chemicals in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune. Veterans and their families who were harmed by exposure to contaminated water are eligible for VA disability benefits and health care.
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In this article about Camp Lejeune water contamination:
Camp Lejeune water contamination history
For decades, the military allowed carcinogens and other pollutants to reach the groundwater at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The base, which was established in 1942, has been home to thousands of military personnel and their family members.
In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered that the water system on the base was contaminated with a number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride.
The sources of the contamination included a dry-cleaning facility, industrial spills, waste disposal sites, and leaking underground storage tanks.
Investigations concluded that military personnel, civilians, and their families used contaminated water daily between the 1950s and 1980s for drinking, bathing, cooking, and laundry.
The military didn’t shut down the most contaminated water wells until 1985.
Camp Lejeune health effects
Studies on the effects of the VOCs in the Camp Lejeune water have found “sufficient evidence” that exposure to the chemicals can cause kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cardiac defects, bladder cancer, liver cancer, and leukemias.
A 2014 study compared the mortality rates of Navy and Marine veterans who served at Camp Lejeune to those who served at Camp Pendleton from 1975-1985. The study found personnel at Camp Lejeune during that time period had an increased risk of death related to cancers of the cervix, esophagus, kidney, and liver, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
Camp Lejeune water was linked to an increased risk for bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and kidney disease, according to a 2018 study. The research also concluded that increasing levels of exposure to the contaminants increased the risk for kidney cancer and kidney disease.
Camp Lejeune VA disability and health benefits
The VA offers disability benefits as well as health benefits to active duty, Reservists, and National Guard members who served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987, and who left the service under conditions other than a dishonorable discharge.
Camp Lejeune VA disability benefits
Within the last decade, the VA began recognizing presumptive service connections for veterans who served at Camp LeJeune and developed one of eight conditions:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
If you served at Camp Lejeune and have an illness that is not on the list of presumptive conditions, you may also be eligible for disability benefits. You will need to present evidence of the medical link (or nexus) between your condition and your exposure on base.
For more information about toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune and other bases across the country, visit our Military Bases Toxic Exposure Map.
Camp Lejeune VA health benefits
The VA also offers health care benefits for veterans and families of Camp Lejeune for 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
Camp Lejeune lawsuit
In addition to VA benefits, veterans and their families will be able to take legal action against the U.S. government and collect a financial settlement. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was passed by Congress in August 2022 as part of the PACT Act, a nearly $300 billion dollar toxic exposures bill.
How Woods & Woods can help
Woods & Woods has been fighting for people with injuries and disabilities since 1985. Our team of accredited VA disability lawyers, case managers, legal analysts, and intake specialists know the ins and outs of the VA so you don’t have to do all the hard work. Call us today for your free and confidential case evaluation.
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Frequently asked questions
The VA offers disability benefits and health benefits to active duty, Reservists, and National Guard members who served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987, and who left the service under conditions other than a dishonorable discharge.
A study on the effects of the VOCs in the Camp Lejeune water has found evidence that exposure to the chemicals can cause kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cardiac defects, bladder cancer, liver cancer, and leukemias. Another study found an increased risk of death related to cancers of the cervix, esophagus, kidney, and liver, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. People who lived and worked on the base have also been diagnosed with other cancers and serious illnesses, including female infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, and Parkinson’s Disease.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
