Camp Lejeune water became contaminated in 1953, and the most toxic water sources were closed down in 1985. In the 1980s, two drinking water supplies–Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace–on the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina contained toxic chemicals, including perchloroethylene (PCE) and industrial solvents trichloroethylene (TCE). The two water treatment plants supplied the water systems, which served barracks for unmarried service personnel, enlisted-family housing, schools, base administrative offices, and recreational areas. Also, the Hadnot Point water supply served the industrial area and base hospital and supplied drinking water to housing on the Holcomb Boulevard water system.  

PCE was the primary toxic substance found in the water systems serving the Tarawa Terrace system. Also, other contaminants in the Tarawa Terrace water system had a minor effect on the water supply. However, the water contamination at the Hadnot Point water system was mor

The United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was established in 1942. In the early 1980s, the Marine Corps discovered toxic chemicals in the drinking water in two of the eight water treatment plants on the base.

PCE or TCE mainly contaminated drinking water from the Tarawa Terrace water system. The source of this contamination was the waste disposal measures at ABC One-Hour Cleaners, which was an off-base dry cleaning company. In addition, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) estimates that perchloroethylene concentrations exceeded the current maximum contamination level of 5 ppb in the drinking water from the Tarawa Terrace water supply between 1957 and 1987. As a result, the most contaminated water systems were shut down in 1985.

Water from the Hadnot Point water system was contaminated mainly by TCE. Other toxic chemicals in this drinking water included benzene, PCE, and TCE degradation chemicals trans-1,2-dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride. In addition, water treatment plants were contaminated by multiple sources, including water disposal sites, industrial area spills, and leaking underground storage tanks. 

Any military personnel who served at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) or Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 might have been affected by the toxic chemicals in the Camp Lejeune water contamination. Medical and scientific evidence shows a correlation between toxic exposure with those poisonous chemicals during time spent in the military and increased risk of some diseases, including ALS, kidney, and liver cancer. 

The Camp Lejeune contaminated water affected veterans, guardsmen, and reservists who served at MCAS or Camp Lejeune bases for a minimum of one month from 1953 to 1987.  Also, all Camp Lejeune residents such as family members of Veterans who lived at MCAS and Camp Lejeune might have come into contact with contaminated water there.

You may qualify for disability compensation if:

• You were deployed at MCAS or Camp Lejeune for a minimum of one month from 1953 to 1987, 
• You did not get a disgraceful dismissal from the service.

Also, you should have been diagnosed with any of these health conditions:

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Kidney cancer
• Adult leukemia
• Bladder cancer
• Myelodysplastic syndromes like aplastic anemia 
• Multiple myeloma
• Liver cancer
• Parkinson’s disease

To receive disability benefits, you must file for disability benefits and provide the following evidence:

• Military records that prove you were stationed at MCAS or Camp Lejeune for a minimum of one month from 1953 to 1987 in the military full time, or the Reserves or National Guard, and 
• Medical documents that show you have any of the eight health conditions mentioned above.

Veterans who were stationed at MCAS and Camp Lejeune for a minimum of one month between August 1953 and September 1987, together with their families, can also receive compensation. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will pay overhead medical care expenses that are associated with the following health conditions:

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Breast cancer
• Scleroderma 
• Bladder cancer
• Hepatic steatosis
• Female infertility
• Renal toxicity
• Kidney cancer
• Lung cancer
• Leukemia
• Neurobehavioral effects
• Esophageal cancer
• Miscarriage
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Multiple myeloma

To receive compensation as a relative of a Veteran, you must file for health benefits and provide the following evidence:

• Documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, or adoption papers that prove how you’re related to a Veteran who was deployed full-time at MCAS or Camp Lejeune for a minimum of one month between August 1953 and December 1987, 
• Documents, including base housing forms, utility bills, tax records, and military orders, that prove you resided at MCAS or Camp Lejeune for a minimum of one month from 1953 to December 1987, and
• Medical documents that prove you suffer from any of the fifteen health conditions mentioned above, together with the date you were diagnosed with the illness and you have been treated or are being treated for this condition. 

Also, you may need evidence to show you paid for medical costs for your illness during one period mentioned above. To learn more about Camp Lejeune claims, click here.

Trajector helps at-risk and underserved disabled populations in their pursuit to get the health benefits they’re entitled to from private and government agencies. Our team will draft medical evidence that will help you and your family recover the financial compensation you deserve. 

Our services include:

• Medical evidence development to support your VA disability benefits claims
• Advocacy services that support our client’s Social Security disability benefits claims
• Legal advocacy for personal injury claims

Many Americans struggle to secure fair compensation because of complicated legal procedures and a lack of awareness. At Trajectory, we offer crucial solutions for our clients–bringing confidence and clarity in an otherwise emotional and daunting legal process–which we do with patience and empathy.