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Press Release: Update on Camp Lejeune Water Study
Oct. 24, 2007

United States Marine Corps
Division of Public Affairs

HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS - Marine officials testified before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Tuesday to discuss past drinking water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The hearing was an opportunity for Members to pose questions regarding the identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in two of Camp Lejeune’s drinking water systems in the 1980’s, the efforts taken to address the situation at the time, and on-going studies to determine if there is an association between exposure to contaminated water and certain illnesses.

The water at Camp Lejeune is safe to drink today and has been since at least March 1987. Camp Lejeune is in compliance with the comprehensive federal and state laws and regulations established to ensure safe drinking water. Drinking water is checked for VOCs quarterly (more frequently than required by law) to ensure water is not impacted. The base issues annual Consumer Confidence Reports to all residents of the base on the quality of their water.

In the early 1980’s, two solvents, trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), unregulated at the time, were detected in two water systems that served base housing areas in Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace. Eventually specific groundwater wells were identified as the source of the chemicals and were shut down in early 1985.

Two independent reviews have been conducted on the history of this issue. In 2004, the Commandant of the Marine Corps chartered a fact-finding panel to review decisions made by base personnel regarding the closure of the drinking water wells. The panel found that during the period reviewed, Camp Lejeune followed general water industry practices in keeping with evolving regulatory requirements. The panel concluded that the decisions made by base officials at the time were appropriate given the information they had. The General Accountability Office also reviewed the history of this issue and reported similar findings in its May 2007 report, available at www.gao.gov.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is studying whether there is an association between the water and certain health conditions in children in the womb, considered the most susceptible population. This study is expected to be complete in early 2008. ATSDR is developing water models for both impacted water systems to estimate how long residents may have been exposed to the VOCs and at what concentrations. The results of ATSDR’s water model for the Tarawa Terrace drinking water system are available on the official ATSDR website. Additionally, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) began a study in April 2007 to review potential health impacts of these chemicals to former base residents and workers. The Marine Corps continues to support these studies.

The Marine Corps also supports the 2007 National Defense Appropriations Act, which links notification to the completion of the current ATSDR study. The study findings will provide a scientific basis to inform potentially-exposed individuals as to whether or not they may have a higher risk for the medical conditions studied.

Marine officials recommend Camp Lejeune residents prior to 1987 review the information related to the historic water quality at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) website: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune.

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