Welcome to The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten. The purpose of this site is to help provide information about the toxic water contamination aboard U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Please feel free to register, look around our site and ask questions. We invite you to visit our Discussion page. We have also recently completed a referenced time line of events for the first half of the toxic water contamination aboard Camp Lejeune. Please review this important document and compare it to prior “official” Marine Corps versions found on the page.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is currently studying the effects of toxic exposure upon former residents of Camp Lejeune. Three separate water distribution systems aboard Camp Lejeune were found to be contaminated, the Hadnot Point, Tarawa Terrace and Holcomb Blvd water distribution systems. ATSDR has determined the systems was contaminated from January 1953 until 1 March 1987. ATSDR water modeling for these water distribution systems is complete.
Historically, Midway Park, Berkeley Manor, and Paradise Point housing areas received their finished tap water from the Hadnot Point water system prior to 1972. After that date, these areas received their water from the Holcomb Boulevard water distribution system. Hospital Point and Hadnot Point (Main side) to include French creek received their finished water from the Hadnot Point water distribution system up until the contaminated wells were taken offline, contaminated water for these areas ceased in February of 1985. However, beginning 27 January 1985 through 4 February 1985, the Holcomb Boulevard water treatment plant was taken off line due to a generator fuel spill in the water system. Water was rerouted from the Hadnot Point water distribution system in order to supply water to Midway Park, Berkeley Manor, Paradise Point, and Watkins Village. The water furnished to these areas during the 9 day period was highly contaminated with VOCs.
The water provided by the Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point distribution systems was highly contaminated with various chemicals, including the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) known as PCE (Tetrachloroethylene aka Perchloroethylene), TCE (Trichloroethylene), DCE (Dichloroethylene), Vinyl Chloride and BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene).These chemicals are either known or suspected human carcinogens. Many Marines, Sailors, their families and loyal civilian employees have been affected by the contamination in various ways including, but not limited to: liver cancer, kidney cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, non Hodgkins lymphoma, liver disease, miscarriages, birth defects (cleft palate, heart defects, Choanal atresia, neural tube defects, low birth weight, and small for gestational age),etc. Unfortunately, many of these families still have not been notified by the USMC of the danger from their exposure. In 1987 Camp Lejeune was recommended for listing as a Superfund site on the National Priorities List (NPL) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Camp Lejeune was officially listed as a Superfund site in 1989.
"One person can make a difference, and every person should try." - John F. Kennedy
It is imperative that you register with the USMC & ATSDR. The more affected people who register, the more information they have to go off of (ie. further studies) etc. You may register with the USMC at https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil (please click here for a link explaining the privacy disclosure so that you can draw your own conclusions) or by emailing the USMC at clwater@usmc.mil and the ATSDR by emailing atsdrcamplej@cdc.gov or by calling 800-232-4636. If you prefer to email the USMC or ATSDR, please make sure that you provide your name, contact information, medical issues and dates and addresses at Lejeune.