Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series
It’s been more than 40 years since the drinking water at Camp Lejeune was found to be contaminated by industrial solvents and other chemicals the CDC found -- in animal studies -- can cause cancers and other illnesses after long-term exposure. More than a million people may have been exposed, but even after a law was passed allowing them to sue the federal government for damages, very few of the more than 400,000 claims filed has moved forward.
Public Radio East News Director Annette Weston spoke with victims of the toxic water, North Carolina lawmakers working to make improvements to the initial legislation that led to the court cases, and an attorney handling hundreds of the claims made by those who were sickened.
Public Radio East News Director Annette Weston spoke with victims of the toxic water, North Carolina lawmakers working to make improvements to the initial legislation that led to the court cases, and an attorney handling hundreds of the claims made by those who were sickened.
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Eric Flynn is a partner with the Bell Legal Group, which is handling hundreds of the toxic water cases, and he said more than 2,500 lawsuits have been filed, and 411,000 claims remain pending with the Department of the Navy after the Camp Lejeune Justice Act opened a two-year-window to sue for damages related to illnesses that may have been caused by toxic water aboard the base. That window closed just over a year ago. -
The Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act has strong bipartisan support in both chambers. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the Senate. -
Darlene Brooks says Jim was not only a former Marine, but a construction worker – and the illness that appeared in his 50s devastated him. "Battling breast cancer was very difficult,” she said, “For one thing, Jim did was kind of embarrassed that it was breast cancer. And you know, like we didn't hear men having breast cancer.” -
The Camp Lejuene Justice Act was signed into law more than three years ago, and nearly all of the legal claims that resulted from it – more than 400,000 of them – are still mired in the legal process.
