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Press Release: Hadnot Point, Holcomb Boulevard Water Modeling Results Released
Mar. 15, 2013

United States Marine Corps
Division of Public Affairs

HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released its “Chapter A: Summary and Findings” water modeling report today for the Hadnot Point and Holcomb Boulevard Water Treatment Plants and Vicinities at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.

This report provides ATSDR's assessment of past exposures to a class of chemicals known as “volatile organic compounds” (VOCs) in the drinking water distributed by these two Camp Lejeune water treatment systems. These VOCs were commonly used as solvents for cleaning machinery and weapons, for dry cleaning, and some are found in fuels.

ATSDR’s water modeling estimates that the first month any VOC exceeded the current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory standards in drinking water in the Hadnot Point system was August 1953, and at least one VOC exceeded the current standard in Hadnot Point drinking water from August 1953 through January 1985.

This release marks a major milestone towards the completion of scientific efforts pertaining to this issue and another step in ongoing efforts to provide comprehensive science-based answers to the health questions that have been raised. ATSDR will use these results and the results of a similar water model developed for the Tarawa Terrace area in 2007 to estimate chemical exposures for several of their on-going health studies.

Since 1991, the Marine Corps has supported scientific and public health organizations that are studying these issues. We continue to support these initiatives and are working diligently to identify and notify individuals who, in the past, may have been exposed to the chemicals in drinking water. For more information about these efforts, or to register, please see: www.marines.mil/clwater/ or call (877) 261-9782.

For the complete report and for information about studies being conducted by ATSDR, visit http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/ or call (800) 232-4636.

To contact Veterans Affairs to learn more about the health care benefits, please visit http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/hadnotpoint.html#Chapter_A or call (877) 222-8387 (Healthcare) or (800) 827-1000 (Benefits).

The drinking water at Camp Lejeune currently meets all government drinking water standards and is tested more often than required. For Camp Lejeune’s annual water quality reports, please see: http://www.lejeune.marines.mil/OfficesStaff/EnvironmentalMgmt/AnnualReports.aspx.

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