If you served at the United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, North Carolina, you may have had contact with contaminants (solvents, lubricants, pesticides, and other chemicals – benzene, TCE, PCE, vinyl chloride and more) in the drinking water.
The Camp Lejeune water supply was contaminated with high levels of volatile organic compounds from the late 1953 to 1987. Scientific and medical evidence has shown an association between exposure to these contaminants during military service and development of certain diseases later in life.
The Federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry now officially acknowledges that “past exposure to contaminants in the drinking water sat Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) has increased the risk of cancers and other adverse health effects of the residents (including infants and children), civilian workers, Marines and Naval personnel.
If you have qualifying service at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River and a current diagnosis of one of the conditions listed below, you may be eligible for disability benefits.
Eligibility for compensation and healthcare:
- Must have served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 cumulative days from August 1953 through December 1987.
- You were discharged from the military under conditions other than dishonorable.
- You must have a current diagnosis of one or more of the following presumptive conditions:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
Currently applies only to:
- Veterans
- Reservists
- Guardsmen
Benefits available are:
- Healthcare
- Compensation payments
How do you get these compensation benefits?
- You will need to visit the Veterans Service Office and bring your military discharge papers showing you served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River during August 1953 to December 1987 to file a claim.
- Evidence stating that you have one or more of the eight illnesses on the presumptive conditions list above.
Based on a 2012 law, all of the veterans and their families stationed at Camp Lejeune and/or MCAS New River are eligible for healthcare benefits and may be reimbursed for out of pocket costs that were related to any of the 15 conditions listed below. However, not all of these conditions are eligible for compensation, only health benefits.
The conditions are:
- 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
This information is the latest from recent updates provided by the Veterans Administration (VA).
Click to Subscribe to the Civilian Exposure Newsletter for Latest News & Updates Today!
10 comments
Let me just say that if anyone has a problem with obtaining their medical records or military records, all anyone has to do is file a FOIA for either records and the VA and the Military Records Department has to find ALL of your records or approve your claims.
I HAVE PROSTATE CANCER AND KIDNEY FAILURE ALL I GRT IS GATHERING PAPERS
Why only help for honorable discharge ??? Does a dishonorable discharge mean a person didn’t serve there ? That’s ridiculous. These health problems are serious !
Bull that this happened everyone exspoed should get full benefits
Yes, my entire family was exposed and have had so many health issues, including several cancers, some listed, some not. We suffer from major spine problems and nerve problems, our mom suffered miscarriages, breast cancer, blood disorders, while we lived there two brothers suffered major seizures but they decreased after we moved! Now our children are suffering rare cancers! How is it we can’t get help?
I have only just discovered this lawsuit. I was born at Camp LeJuene and lived there until I was 3. Last year I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had surgery to have the tumor removed. The surgeon said I was very lucky, my cancer was very invasive but he could not understand how I got it since it is caused by heavy smoking or exposure to industrial chemicals. I only heard about the Camp LeJeune contamination after talking to a friend of my husband who is a Marine. The cancer I can handle. what I can’t handle is the 7 miscarriages and infertility I experienced. Back then it was explained as one of the 2% of women who will never know why they miscarry. This brings back all of the grieving and heartache I went through. to know that I was exposed as a baby to contaminates that made it so I could never have the children I longed for. It is wrong that family members are suffering but there is no recourse for us. As any family that has been through miscarriages knows the pain and suffering that of a lost child is forever. I lost 7!
My name is Joseph Muraca,
I joined the marine Corps in 1953 and trained in1954 and 1955 at Camp Lejjeune and drank that poison water. Today I am suffering from a bad kidney, colon Cancer, prostate cancer a bladder that requires medication 3 times a day to help me urinate. and my urinary tract Leaks. In addition I get frequent head aches as well as dizziness. I filed a VA Comp and benefit claim and was denied. Why?
How could they not help us after they retained that water problem a secrete for so many years. To me that was the most shameful and egregious incident ever to assail a U.S. Marine in peace time. I say rise up, get to your congressman and file a complaint.
We have to fight for our rights.Tell the VA to change the ridiculous list to include more of the type of maladies that i have.
i am making a statement pertaining, people who were at Camp Lejeune ,and exposed deliberately to toxic chemicals. In the water provided by the Corps.
i dare some of a great many Dishonorable Discharges were directly caused by or linked to or due the toxins in the water and those who knew the truth. Now i am not an investigative reporter. However this i do know. if a Marine gets a sunburn at the beach,then reports to sickbay.That Marine is written up or the destruction of governments property . If a Male Marine goes to get his ear pierced after he joined the Corps, and his superiors should discover it. That Marine will be written up for the destruction of government property . if two Marines get into a fight and should injure one and the other, and this fight is reported. They will be written up for the destruction of government property .
So this is all according to the UCMJ, or as i was orientated back when i were in the Corps.
That being a fact how can the DOD and the VA, get away with the inhumane perpetrated on the service members, families, and civilians at Camp Lejeune?
Which brings me to this point, now this could may well be hearsay or mere conjecture, but thought read some where. That DOD’s defense concerning all this about the toxic at Camp Lejeune, is this.
There is no law which statutes that the DOD , has to supply potable water for their troops. As i said if it is not so i will gladly admit my mistake, as i have already forewarned .
I was at the base in 1983 1984 I’m starting to develop problems with my kidneys and liver missing work for me is a no no but I realize I need to begin my journey with the V A
[…] that there is no easy way for us to even be considered for treatment and even more so that the list of conditions is so small. Thanks for allowing me to share my […]