Water Contamination At Camp Lejeune Includes PFAS Forever Chemicals And May Impact Surrounding Communities

Hundreds of military bases around the country are at least as polluted as Camp Lejeune

Thursday, March 2, 2023 - Camp Lejeune water contamination was once thought to be limited to a volatile organic compound that leached into the local water table from improperly disposed of military equipment and weaponry degreasers, an unlined toxic waste landfill, and incredibly, a local dry cleaner pouring their waste chemicals down into a local storm drain. Josh Stein, the attorney general of North Carolina thinks otherwise, and is bringing a case about PFAS "forever chemicals" against 3M, DuPont, and other manufacturers of firefighting foam. According to the lawsuit, these businesses willfully released these hazardous substances into the environment of North Carolina by failing to warn the military about the risks of using firefighting foam, posing a major health danger to the state's citizens and poisoning the state's drinking water, rivers, and streams. The case aims to hold these businesses liable for the harm brought on by the presence of PFAS, including the price of cleaning up contaminated areas and providing medical care for those who were harmed. " Thousands of marines, civilian employees, and their respective family members have filed Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims seeking lump-sum monetary compensation. It is coming to light, however, that there is more to the Camp Lejeune water contamination and water contamination elsewhere that makes VOCs pale in comparison. PFAS forever chemicals from firefighting foam contaminate not only nearly every military base throughout the US but also are being shown to contaminate the surrounding communities. Pensacola Florida News reports, " The army's decades-long use of AFFF is the primary source of PFAS contamination on more than 700 bases across the country, with more recent studies finding that close to 3,500 closed and active military installations are likely affected."

The North Carolina AG lawsuit is part of a larger initiative by states and communities around the nation to address the threat presented by PFAS chemicals and to safeguard the environment and public health. It is most disturbing that the toxic waste improperly stored and PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam used extensively on military air stations to extinguish jet fuel and petroleum fires, pose a cancer health crisis not only for the military but also for the millions of people that live in the surrounding communities. The Pensacola New Journal in northern Florida reports that the area's naval and marine air stations and the surrounding communities have tested positive for staggeringly elevated levels of toxic PFAS chemicals. According to PN, " Studies of the base's premises brought to light over 60 different contaminants in concentrations that exceeded safety limits by 240 -- 3,400 times, including infamous carcinogens like benzene, vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and poly/perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). " It should be pointed out that PFAS chemicals do not break down naturally in the air, soil, and water and can bio-accumulate in the human body to levels that cause cancer. According to PN, certain cancers and diseases, similar to Camp Lejeune cancer, are being reported on the base and in the surrounding area. " Chronic exposure to these compounds has been clinically linked to cancer (testicular, kidneys), impaired liver function, increased cholesterol, lower vaccine response in children, decreased birth weight, and pregnancy-related issues like pre-eclampsia.

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