Page 6 - Mariner-Summer-2023 Volume-66-Issue-2

NERA NEWS — CAMP LEJEUNE

The law firm of Baird Mandalas Brockstedt & Federico (BMBF Law), and our

team of litigators who have extensive experience in groundwater contamina-
tion, are proud to be trusted by the Naval Enlisted Reserve Association to rep-
resent veterans and their families who were harmed while living, working, or
serving at United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

As part of our national grassroots education campaign, we In the mid- 1980’s, the EPA conducted extensive testing
are proud to inform NERA that we have spoken at over at Lejeune and discovered that levels of hazardous chem-
50 veteran conferences, conventions, leadership meetings, icals were among the highest ever seen in a large, pub-
and community town halls. Throughout our travels we lic water system, Trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial
have discovered there continues to be extensive confusion solvent and known carcinogen, is considered “safe” for
and misunderstanding of what the Camp Lejeune Justice human consumption by the EPA at the level of 5ppb. The
Act (CLJA) not only is, but especially what it does. This is water fountain at Berkeley Manor Elementary School was
often due to the loudness of the noise created from inces- found to have TCE in it at the level of 1,444 ppb.
sant television commercials, robocalls, and spamming of
email boxes. This is why BMBF Law is utilizing every “How” TCE, and numerous other toxic chemicals got
opportunity to be out in the field speaking with veterans into the water cannot be explained with one, or even a
and their families face to face, and eye to eye. Before I pro- few actions by base personnel, or in the contrary, inaction
vide clarity and specific details on the CLJA, it is import- by base leadership. The documented happenings through-
ant to provide a background of what happened to truly out the 35 years of known contamination are extensive,
appreciate why it is so important that all of us, whether and there are more being discovered every day. Here is a
you have never stepped foot onboard Camp Lejeune, handful of examples:
should understand how to help our fellow brothers/sisters
and their families who were harmed there for over three n Weekly from 1958-1977, at a wash rack off Center
decades. Road in the heart of the base, an estimated 350
gallons of pesticide-laced water from the cleaning of
From 1953-1987, massive contamination of the water at equipment flowed directly onto the ground.
Camp Lejeune occurred resulting in the base becoming
the site of one the worst public health disasters in our n From 1946-1971, a burn dump at Hadnot Point was
nation’s history. For decades, personnel & family mem- used for disposal of garbage, industrial waste, and
bers at Camp Lejeune complained to base officials of “foul construction debris. Afterwards, the site was graded
smelling” water. Mess Hall personnel mixed the water over and seeded with grass, made into a park where a
with Kool-Aid, lemonade, and iced tea to mask the taste fishing pond was created for use by families.
and smell. Taking hot showers, baths, and washing hands
only vaporized the chemicals and put them into the air, n From 1946-1970, a landfill at Camp Geiger was used
compounding the harm of the toxins by inhalation into as an open burn pit area for garbage, used oil, batteries,
one’s respiratory system. and ordinance- including mortar shells and grenades.

6 The Mariner • 2023 SUMMER Edition • Volume 66 • Issue 2

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Mariner Summer 2023 Volume 66 Issue 2 091923.indd 6 9/19/23 9:31 AM