Camp Lejeune has been the subject of controversy for quite some time now. The Marine Corps Base Camp in North Carolina discovered that two major supply systems were contaminated with industrial solvents, essentially poisoning the water for everyone on base. The effects were catastrophic for marines and their families. U.S. Marine Sgt. Jerry Ensminger claims that his daughter, Janey, passed away due to the contamination.
After developing leukemia, a potential side effect of consuming trichloroethylene (TCE), she would fight through treatments only to lose the battle at the age of just 9 years old. He said that even though the Marines knew about the problem, they did nothing — even as his young child lay dying. We look at the generational toll that Camp Lejeune took and what kind of recourse residents have if they want to take action or pursue justice.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
In the early 1980s, it was clear that Marines knew that there was both trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) in the water. This water was supplied by two treatment plants: Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point. Children who lived on the base may not have known the scientific makeup of the chemicals, but they certainly noticed when contractors discovered the bodies of radioactive dogs in the soil of a parking lot in the 1980s. It was just one example of many that proved hazardous waste was being disposed of on base.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, the chemicals in the water were up to 3,400 times what is considered safe by standards of the day. There were so many people passing through the camp, some staying there for only a few weeks, that it’s difficult to know what exactly happened to those who was exposed to the water. Not only will TCE and PCE increase the likelihood of anything from renal cancer to multiple myeloma, it increases the odds of adverse birth effects as well.
A Tragic Toll of Camp Lejeune
It’s clear that some people will never even know what happened to them if they were on base during this time period. The data that we have, which is often pieced together by public health agencies with limited resources, is slow to come out. Lori Lou Freshwater, who grew up on the base in the 1980s, would recount her experiences in an article for Pacific Standard as a way of quantifying what happened.
She talks about how her brother passed away after living for just a month. She talked about her mother dying of leukemia years later. Freshwater’s mother spoke out against the contamination in a public meeting before her death, decrying the reduction of her experience into numbers and statistics. She correctly points out that the poisoning was a tragedy, one that would live on for many years to come. Freshwater now has two boxes that carry the ashes of her family, both of which stand side-by-side in her home.
Contact Wallace and Graham, P.A.
There's some action taking place in Congress right now to ensure that victims get their due. A Camp Lejeune settlement can't take away what occurred, but it can ensure that people get the financial support they need to cover any number of healthcare or funeral related expenses. Mona Lisa Wallace and her partner Bill Graham don’t want anyone to suffer more than they have already, which is why they're available to fight for their client's rights. While the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, spurred on by Representative Davide Price and fellow Representative Greg Murphy, has not yet passed, it looks like it's only a matter of time. If you want to learn more about how the attorneys and staff at Wallace and Graham, P.A. can help, contact us today for more information.