Between 1953 and 1987 upwards of 1 million military personnel and their families stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina ingested and bathed in water that was contaminated with chemicals from three water-distribution points that supplied the majority of family housing units at the base. Tests identified trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride (VC) and benzene. These chemicals were used as solvents to clean metal parts, dry cleaning, degreasing and in the production plastics and resins.
The VA has enacted special provisions for obtaining disability compensation for exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water. If a veteran served at Camp Lejeune (or MCAS New River) for at least 30 cumulative days between August 1953 and December 1987, the VA will presumptively grant service-connection for the following disabilities:
Adult leukemia
Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
Bladder cancer
Kidney cancer
Liver cancer
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Parkinson’s disease.
While presumptive connection is the easier, it is possible to win service connection for medical conditions not listed above. Brown & Curry has helped veterans win benefits for other medical disorders by developing independent medical research linking the disorder to the Camp Lejeune chemicals.
The VA also offers special health care for veterans and their family members who served at Camp Lejeune. Again, the veteran must have served at Camp Lejeune (or MCAS New River) for at least 30 cumulative days between August 1953 and December 1987. If that prerequisite is met, then the veteran and family members can receive health care benefits related to the following 15 conditions, even in the conditions are not service-connected:
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
