The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Department of Defense found that there were one million people present at Camp Lejeune. That means millions were potentially exposed to contaminated water and that led to devastating health effects.
Several lawsuits were filed over water contamination at Camp Lejeune. Over 850 of those cases were consolidated into an MDL, but the lawsuits were dismissed due to a North Carolina law known as a statute of repose, which stated that legal action could not be brought since the alleged water contamination occurred more than three years before the suit.
Public outcries led to the proposal of the 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act. In 2012, Congress passed H.R.1627 – Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act, which granted some benefits to both veterans and family members who were exposed if they met certain standards.
This bill provided health care benefits to a family member, but not VA compensation benefits.
In 2017, Congress passed an additional statute that granted more benefits and expanded upon the conditions associated with exposure at the base.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is different from previous bills because it provides health care and disability benefits while providing a legal route for affected individuals to seek financial compensation for their exposure-related medical issues.