20 From Camp Lejeune Marine Base Developed Male Breast Cancer, Blame Toxic Water
Monday, August 31, 2009
Less than 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States each year, compared with 192,000 cases for women. The rare occurrence of this condition in men has many wondering about the water supply at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, one of the U.S. Marine Corps’ primary bases, where 19 men who once lived there have developed breast cancer.
Turns out the water supply for Camp Lejeune from the 1950s to the mid-1980s was contaminated with chemicals from an off-base dry-cleaning company and industrial solvents used to clean military equipment. Even though Marine Corps commanders issued an order in 1974 to safely dispose of solvents, dangerous chemicals were still dumped near water wells for years. And it wasn’t until 1984 that the Corps completed its testing of underground wells that revealed the presence of harmful chemicals, forcing the closure of many. By then, thousands of Marines and their families had been exposed to the tainted water.
In addition to the unusual incidence of male breast cancer, there are nearly 500 others who were at the base and have contracted other forms of cancer or illnesses. More than 1,600 former base residents have filed claims against the federal government, seeking $34 billion total in damages.
On July 27, 2009, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced a bill, the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2009, to furnish medical care for victims of the water contamination.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Camp Lejeune Residents Blame Rare Cancer Cluster on the Water (by David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times)
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