Marines Become Aware Of The Link Between Drinking Water While At Camp Lejeune And Their Cancer
The knowledge that Camp Lejeune drinking water causes esophagus, bladder, and other forms of cancer solves the mystery
Sunday, August 21, 2022 - Live5 News in Columbia South Carolina recently wrote about one Marine veteran diagnosed with bladder cancer later in life, coming to terms with the cause of the disease. US Marine veteran Neil Derrick was stationed at Camp Lejeune during the 1970s when only 20 years old. The furthest thought from his mind was that he was being poisoned by the tap water he was drinking despite the Navy and Marine Corps knowing more than a decade prior that the two water treatment plants servicing the base were contaminated with toxic waste. The Marine Corps did not make its knowledge of the water contamination public until the 1980s. According to Live5News, "While Derrick said he may have been aware of the news of the contamination after that point, it did not resonate until after his diagnosis of bladder cancer in 2018, despite living a healthy lifestyle, having no family history of the disease and never smoking. "Smoking is the No. 1 risk factor of bladder cancer," Derrick said. "I kept scratching my head, and I would go, 'Where did I get this from?' And I would ask Dr. Brightbill, and he says, 'Hey I don't know.' Well, now the mystery has been solved."
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is an integral part of the Honoring Our Pact Act that President Biden signed into law this month. The Pact will release more than $300 billion in expanded medical benefits and increased disability payments to veterans injured by toxic burn pit smoke and water contamination in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also covers those who have developed cancer from exposure to "Agent Orange" during their service in Vietnam. The CLJA nullifies the statute of limitations that previously prevented US Marines from filing a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit against the Navy, Marines, or the Federal government for their negligence in allowing the Camp Lejeune water to become contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, vinyl chloride and benzine, byproducts of a local dry cleaning company improperly disposing of toxic waste for decades according to military sources. Jury awards for those with cancer or the survivors of those who have died from cancer as a result of drinking Camp Lejeune water are expected to exceed $500 billion. All told, the HOPA is the largest expansion of health care benefits for military veterans in US history. If you or a loved one have served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30-days from 1953 to 1987, and have been diagnosed with or died from cancer, you may qualify to file a Camp Lejeune Justice Act claim. According to legal experts, "If you are already receiving medical benefits or other compensation from the V.A. for Camp Lejeune water, you still qualify for filing a claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act." The knowledge that Camp Lejeune drinking water causes bladder and other forms of cancer solve the mystery of what caused the disease.
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