The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten - Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

News U.S. Representatives Brad Miller and John D. Dingell Reintroduce the Janey Ensminger Act to Care for Camp Lejeune Families (HR-1742) with the following co-sponsors: Shelley Berkley, G.K. Butterfield, John Conyers, Joe Courtney, Joe Donnelly, Bob Filner, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Walter Jones, Carolyn Maloney, Mike Mcintyre, Christopher Murphy, David Price, Reid Ribble, Betty Sutton, Joe Wilson ... Senator Richard Burr, in conjunction with Senators Chuck Grassley, Kay Hagan, and Bill Nelson Introduced (SB-277): Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011 with the following co-sponsors: Senators Richard Blumenthal, Lindsey Graham, Tom Harkin, Mike Johanns, and Patrick Leahy Semper Fi Movie Poster Welcome to The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten. The purpose of this site is to help provide information about the toxic water contamination aboard U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Please feel free to register, look around our site and ask questions. We invite you to visit our Discussion page. We have also recently completed a referenced time line of events for the first half of the toxic water contamination aboard Camp Lejeune. Please review this important document and compare it to prior “official” Marine Corps versions found on the page. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is currently studying the effects of toxic exposure upon former residents of Camp Lejeune. Two separate water distribution systems aboard Camp Lejeune were found to be contaminated, the Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point water distribution systems. ATSDR has completed the water modeling for the Tarawa Terrace water distribution system and has determined the system was contaminated from June 1957 until 1 March 1987. The ATSDR water modeling for the Hadnot Point water distribution system is underway but has not been completed. Therefore, the beginning date of the contamination has not been determined for any of those areas that were historically served by the Hadnot Point water distribution system... Historically, Midway Park, Berkeley Manor, and Paradise Point housing areas received their finished tap water from the Hadnot Point water system prior to 1972. After that date, these areas received their water from the Holcomb Boulevard water distribution system. Hospital Point and Hadnot Point (Main side) to include French creek received their finished water from the Hadnot Point water distribution system up until the contaminated wells were taken offline, contaminated water for these areas ceased in February of 1985. However, beginning 27 January 1985 through 4 February 1985, the Holcomb Boulevard water treatment plant was taken off line due to a generator fuel spill in the water system. Water was rerouted from the Hadnot Point water distribution system in order to supply water to Midway Park, Berkeley Manor, Paradise Point, and Watkins Village. The water furnished to these areas during the 9 day period was highly contaminated with VOCs. The water provided by the Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point distribution systems was highly contaminated with various chemicals, including the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) known as PCE (Tetrachloroethylene aka Perchloroethylene), TCE (Trichloroethylene), DCE (Dichloroethylene), Vinyl Chloride and BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene).These chemicals are either known or suspected human carcinogens. Many Marines, Sailors, their families and loyal civilian employees have been affected by the contamination in various ways including, but not limited to: liver cancer, kidney cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, non Hodgkins lymphoma, liver disease, miscarriages, birth defects (cleft palate, heart defects, Choanal atresia, neural tube defects, low birth weight, and small for gestational age),etc. Unfortunately, many of these families still have not been notified by the USMC of the danger from their exposure. In 1987 Camp Lejeune was recommended for listing as a Superfund site on the National Priorities List (NPL) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Camp Lejeune was officially listed as a Superfund site in 1989. "One person can make a difference, and every person should try." - John F. Kennedy September 2010 Congressional Hearing Seated (L-R) at the witness table: Mike Partain, Peter Devereaux, Jim Watters and Dr. Mike Hargett. USMC Maj Gen Eugene G Payne Jr is seated immediately behind the witness panel.