What is an overall summary of the situation concerning toxic groundwater at Camp Lejeune?
Those who served at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, may have had contact with contaminants in the drinking water there.
Scientific and medical evidence has shown an association between exposure to these contaminants during military service and development of certain cancerous and non-cancerous diseases later on.
Those who have qualifying service at Camp Lejeune and a current diagnosis of one of the conditions listed below may be able to get disability benefits.
Are those impacted eligible for disability benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA)?
Those impacted may be eligible for disability benefits if they meet all of these requirements.
Those impacted may include:
- Veterans
- Reservists
- Guardsmen
Both of these must be true:
- They served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 cumulative days from August 1953 through December 1987, and
- They didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge when they separated from the military
And they must have a diagnosis of one or more of these 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
What kind of benefits can those eligible receive?
- Health care
- Compensation (payments)
How can they get these benefits?
They’ll need to file a claim for disability compensation and provide this evidence (supporting documents):
- Military records showing service at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days from August 1953 through December 1987 while on active duty, or in the National Guard or Reserves, and
- Medical records confirming a diagnosis of 1 or more of the 8 illnesses on the presumptive conditions list (see above)
Are Veterans and their family members covered for health care?
Yes, veterans who served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 cumulative days from August 1953 through December 1987—and their family members—can get health care benefits.
Those may receive out-of-pocket health care costs reimbursement that were related to any of these 15 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
What was in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune?
Two on-base water wells that were shut down in 1985 had these chemicals:
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Perchloroethylene (PCE)
- Benzene
- Vinyl chloride
- Other compounds
Why weren't potential victims notified about the drinking water contamination at Camp LeJeune?
For questions about notification, contact the Marine Corps. The Call Center staff can be reached at 1-877-261-9782, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., or by email at [email protected].
Former residents and employees of Camp Lejeune can now register at the official Marine Corps water study website for notification and information regarding past drinking water contamination. The address is https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/.
If victims or their families are sick, could these contaminants be to blame?
Exposure to the drinking water contaminants trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, benzene and other volatile organic compounds found at Camp Lejeune have been linked with some types of cancer, birth defects, and other health problems.
Still, even if victims were exposed, it cannot be confirmed that these health problems are a result of that exposure.
Many persons exposed to these contaminants do not suffer any health problems, but others do.
Whether someone will or will not develop health problems depends on several factors, including
- the chemicals to which victims were exposed,
- the dates victims were exposed (the levels varied over time in the drinking water system),
- when victims were exposed (e.g., as a fetus, a child, or an adult),
- how much exposure victims received (if exposed as a fetus, this would depend on the mother’s exposure),
- how long victims were exposed,
- A victims genes,
- any other exposures to environmental or occupational hazards victims have received during their lifetime,
- A victims lifestyle–for example, diet, tobacco or alcohol use, and physical activity,
- illnesses a victim may have had from other causes, and
- medications a victim has taken during your lifetime.
We encourage victims to contact their family physician regarding any concerns they may have regarding their health or their family’s health.
How can a Marine Corps retiree get his or her medical records?
Medical records may be received by contacting the National Personnel Records Center.
The National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records (NPRC-MPR) is the repository for personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans of all services while they were in the military.
NPRC-MPR also stores medical treatment records of retirees from all services, as well as records for dependent and other persons treated at naval medical facilities.
To the extent allowed by law, information from the records is made available upon written request (with dated signature).
Requests must contain sufficient information to locate the record–this information includes
- Complete name as it appears on the service records
- Service number or social security number
- Branch of service, and
- Dates of service.
Date and place of birth may also be helpful, particularly if the service number is unknown.
If the request pertains to a record that may have been involved in the 1973 Records Center fire, also include place of discharge, last unit of assignment, and place of entry into the service, if known.
Send the written request to the following address:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
The NPRC-MPR Web site has additional information. Its address is www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records.html
