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Press Release: Marines send representative to ATSDR’s Community Assistance Panel meeting
Apr. 28, 2010

United States Marine Corps
Division of Public Affairs

HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS - The Marine Corps remains committed to the purposes of the Camp Lejeune Community Assistance Panel and to receiving useful input from the CAP. To that end, we are sending a command representative to observe and take notes.

By sending the command representative to observe only, we believe we will minimize any distraction that our presence at this session may create. We also remain committed to continuing to work cooperatively with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

The Marine Corps has expended significant monetary resources and countless man-hours to collect and make available information that might be useful for ATSDR. ATSDR has always had, and will continue to have, full access to all information we control related to water contamination at Camp Lejeune.

The CAP was created in response to recommendations from the June 24, 2005 Report of a Camp Lejeune Scientific Advisory Panel. This report recommended establishing a panel that would provide: advice on methods to identify various groups of individuals who had lived or worked on the Base; suggest health end-points for studies and study approaches; review study protocols; and, serve as liaison between scientific investigators, the military, and the community.

We believe that the CAP should remain focused on these objectives. Failing to focus on these tasks and the important scientific work that remains will only further delay the answers that are so important for our Marines and their families.

The Marine Corps has cooperated fully throughout ATSDR's efforts at Camp Lejeune on their studies of historical water contamination at Camp Lejeune. We will continue to do so because we are committed to using the best science to get our Marines and Sailors, their family members, and former residents the timely answers they deserve.

For more information on Camp Lejeune Historic Drinking Water or to register for future updates, go to www.marines.mil/clwater or call (877) 261-9782.

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