The U.S. Navy has yet to review over 60,000 claims filed by veterans, their families, and others affected by contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, according to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Between 1953 and 1987, approximately 1 million people were exposed to tainted water at the North Carolina military base, leading to a range of health issues. Those impacted are eligible to take legal action under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, but the claims review process has been slow.
Rubio expressed concern in a May 23 letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, noting that those affected by the water contamination are “stuck in a bureaucratic waiting game.” He questioned the delay in response to the thousands of Camp Lejeune claims filed and requested a timeline and plans to expedite the process, particularly in light of congressional projections estimating a total payout of up to $21 billion.
Navy attorney Jennifer Tennile Karnes acknowledged the delay, attributing it to a lack of staff and funding. She stated that her tort claims unit is working “an unsustainable amount of overtime” to process the claims and hopes to nearly double the staff by the end of the summer. Despite these efforts, an online portal that could expedite the claims process has yet to be created by the U.S. Navy.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, signed into law in August 2022, allows veterans, their families, and others affected by the contaminated water to file lawsuits against the federal government, overriding North Carolina’s 10-year statute of limitations. This law covers individuals who lived, worked, or were exposed to the hazardous water at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
The contaminants found in Camp Lejeune’s water, including benzene, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride, are associated with various health issues, such as cancer, birth defects, lymphoma, skin disorders, anxiety, and dementia. A study published in May revealed that veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune have a 70% higher chance of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease compared to those at other bases. The contamination, caused by chemical spills and leaks, went undiscovered until the 1980s, with some water tests showing contamination levels 300 times higher than acceptable.
