Camp Lejeune Kidney Cancer Lawsuit

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were discovered in the drinking water from two water treatment facilities at Camp Lejeune in 1982. The VOCs found in the water include:

• Benzene
• Tetrachloroethylene/perchloroethylene (PCE)
• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• Vinyl chloride

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) researched potential harm to people who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune during the period when water was contaminated. Its research showed a potential link between PCE and TCE exposure and incidences of kidney cancer in people who worked and lived on the base. 

In part to address the health problems experienced by people who lived at or visited Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987, Congress passed the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. 

The legislation included a provision called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. It opened a two-year window of time for people (and their estates) hurt by toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune to seek compensation from the Department of the Navy (DON).

The deadline to file a claim has passed. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act required toxic water victims to file an administrative claim directly with the DON. The claim had to demonstrate that the claimant:

• Was exposed at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 for at least 30 days
• Suffered one or more serious health conditions that may be linked to the VOCs that have been found in contaminated water at Camp Lejeune

Deadlines for filing Camp Lejeune kidney cancer compensation claims

The deadline for filing a claim for kidney cancer in connection with Camp Lejeune water contamination was August 10, 2024. No additional Camp Lejeune claims are being accepted. 

If you filed an administrative claim that the DON denied, you have six months from the date the Department of the Navy denied the claim to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. You can also file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit there if 180 days (six months) have passed since you submitted a yet-to-be-addressed claim. 

In 1982, Marine Corps investigators found VOCs in at least two water treatment plants. 

The Tarawa Terrace water treatment plant, which served Tarawa Terrace family housing and Knox trailer park, was found to have high levels of PCE. PCE levels reached 215 parts per billion (ppb) in February 1985, which is substantially higher than the recommended limit of 5 ppb.

Hadnot Point, which served Mainside barracks and Hospital Point family housing, was found to have high levels of TCE from leaking underground storage tanks and waste disposal sites. Hadnot Point also provided supplementary water to the Holcomb Boulevard water treatment plant. TCE levels reached 1,400 ppb in May 1982, which exceeded the current recommended limit of 5 ppb.

While the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has linked PCE and TCE exposure to kidney cancer for Marines and civilians who were at Camp Lejeune, additional research also links these VOCs to kidney cancer. One study of 2,000 individuals found that people exposed to TCE have an increased risk of developing kidney cancer. Another study of more than 2,000 individuals found a link between PCE and kidney cancer that was independent of exposure to TCE. 

Other conditions linked to Camp Lejeune water contamination

Unfortunately for service members and their families, many serious health conditions in addition to kidney cancer have been linked to toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune. These conditions include:

• Aplastic anemia
• Bladder cancer
• Cardiac birth defects
• Leukemia
• Liver cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Other serious health conditions
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Other kidney and end stage renal diseases
• Parkinson’s disease
• Systemic scleroderma
• Systemic sclerosis

For service members, their families, and civilian employees who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune, it can be helpful to know the signs of kidney cancer. The National Library of Medicine reports that the following symptoms may be a sign of kidney cancer:

Symptoms of kidney cancer

• Blood in urine
• Persistent pain in one side of your body
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Lumps in abdomen

Consider speaking with your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. Treatment is available, and your doctor may be able to help you treat your symptoms.

Motley Rice has a history of helping veterans and their family members seek justice for preventable harms that have caused personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

We have represented claimants in litigation for: 

• 3M earplugs and hearing loss
• Exposure to asbestos and other toxic materials
• EFP roadside bombs manufactured by terrorists
• Exposure to toxins released from burn pits at military facilities

Read more on our work in support of veterans.