what happened at camp lejeune

From the 1950s through the 1980s, people living or working at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were potentially exposed to contaminated drinking water. The contamination started in the early 1950s, and the most contaminated wells were shut down in 1985. As many as one million military and civilian staff and their families might have been exposed to the contaminated drinking water. The contamination was caused by toxic chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), trichloroethylene (TCE), and perchloroethylene (PCE), which are known to cause cancer and other health problems. The Marines dumped oil and industrial wastewater in storm drains, and potentially radioactive materials were buried, including strontium-90, an isotope known to cause leukemia and other cancers. The contaminated water at Camp Lejeune significantly increased the risk of possibly contracting multiple diseases, though it is not clear if the water actually caused any disease. The Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 provides qualifying veterans with all their health care (except dental care) from VA if they served on active duty at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, even if they don’t have a health condition that is presumed to be related to exposure.