Camp Lejeune Water Contamination May Be Continuing To Worsen Despite The Navy's Claims The Water Is Now Safe To Drink
Camp Lejeune water may still be unsafe
Monday, September 11, 2023 - While progress has been made under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims, the water contamination situation at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune seems to be worsening. Camp Lejeune water lawsuits confirm that for more than four decades, the drinking water supply there was contaminated by dangerous and poisonous substances known as volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), mainly trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, PCE) but also vinyl chloride, methylene chloride, benzene, toluene, cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (DCE), and 1,1-DCE. Tasks and Purposes.com, one of the military's leading publications seems to think otherwise in a paper recently published titled " The Navy's contaminated drinking water crisis is only getting worse." The reporters tell the story of water pollution at "Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where thousands of people were poisoned last year by leaks from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. Recent water main breaks have again left many people on base without drinking water, as first reported on Oct. 17 by Military.com."
Water contamination issues may be facing all military installations where AFFF firefighting foam was used by firefighters to train with and extinguish jet fuel and petroleum fires. USNI.org, the official website of the US Navy is accusing the leadership at Camp Lejeune of dropping the ball when it comes to informing people about the current status of the drinking water there. Marines with cancer and having spent time at Camp Lejeune are having difficulty finding answers to commonly asked questions like " Why are DoD, the Navy, and the Marine Corps silent on this? Why do their websites not tell the whole story, the current status of the water safety on base, and the proper course of action for concerned Marines and their families? Was the drinking water at Camp Lejeune continuously dangerous (or toxic) for the entire 34 years? Is Camp Lejeune's water safe now?" according to USNI.org. The US Marine Corps website tells readers, " The water at Camp Lejeune is safe to drink today and has been since at least March 1987. Camp Lejeune complies with the comprehensive federal and state laws and regulations established to ensure safe drinking water. Drinking water is checked for VOCs quarterly (more frequently than required by law) to ensure water is not impacted. The base issues annual Consumer Confidence Reports to all residents of the base on the quality of their water." The military, however, appears to be overlooking the water contamination by PFAS forever chemicals from using firefighting foam, which scientists believe could be orders of magnitude more deadly than VOC's.
Experts believe that the list of contaminants identified at Camp LeJeune is overwhelming, therefore remediation efforts will likely extend over several decades. This protracted timeframe is primarily attributed to the sheer magnitude of pollutants present within the environment, necessitating a meticulous and comprehensive cleanup process. Consequently, the complexity of addressing multifarious hazardous substances, combined with the exigency of ensuring long-term environmental safety, suggests that the restoration endeavor is poised to unfold gradually, spanning a substantial duration before its fruition. This extended duration is imperative to guarantee the thorough eradication of pollutants and safeguard the health and well-being of both current and future inhabitants of the area.
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