Decades after the toxic water contamination at Camp Lejeune, victims continue to battle chronic illnesses and advocate for congressional action. The 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act, intended to provide court access for victims, has stalled in legal backlogs and procedural disputes. Families like Donna Harris, who suffer from severe health issues linked to the contamination, are now pushing for the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act to guarantee their right to trial and ensure their claims are heard.
Donna Harris, who lived on the base as a child, has battled asthma, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), lost her left kidney, and faced both breast and uterine cancer. Her mother, who lived on the base in the 1960s, suffered four miscarriages, and her sister died from kidney disease.
From the 1950s through the late 1980s, drinking water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated with toxic chemicals, including trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride. Estimates from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) suggest that up to one million Marines, civilian workers, and their families were exposed over decades. Although contamination was first detected in the early 1980s, the most polluted wells weren’t shut down until 1985. Veterans and families spent years reporting high rates of rare cancers, birth defects, and chronic diseases, only to face a long fight for recognition and care.
When the contamination first became public in the mid-1980s, Marine officials blamed a nearby dry-cleaning shop for leaking chemicals into the groundwater. But federal investigations later found multiple sources, including leaking fuel tanks, chemical dumps, and industrial solvent disposal across the base.
Bob Quinter, a fighter pilot who survived being shot down five times during the Vietnam War, never imagined that the greatest danger he faced would come from his own base. After being stationed at Camp Lejeune for eight years in the 1970s and ’80s, Quinter was diagnosed with recurring kidney cancer in 2011. He recalled a friend who served as the base adjutant warning him in the early ’80s that “a major issue on base would soon come to light — and its reach would prove devastating.”
Both of his daughters have suffered multiple miscarriages, and at least half a dozen fellow Marines from his time on base later developed serious illnesses they believe are tied to their exposure. Originally, injury claims related to Camp Lejeune had a filing deadline of 1997 — long before many victims even knew about the contamination.
When Congress passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act in 2022, victims felt a wave of relief. Harris learned that her breast cancer qualified as a covered condition and filed a claim to help pay for radiation and surgery. However, she has not received any payment despite submitting all necessary documentation, highlighting the ongoing issues with the claims process.
James, whose husband died in 2019 after years of illness she believes was caused by Camp Lejeune’s water, has launched a support group — Lejeune Empowered Advocacy for Widows (LEAWs) — to help others facing similar loss. Despite the passage of the 2022 law, she said the hope for justice has been replaced by frustration, citing issues with proving causation, attorney fees, and limited court capacity.
They are now urging Congress to pass the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act, which would guarantee victims the right to trial and ensure their claims are heard. The new legislation aims to cap attorney fees and allow any federal court in North Carolina and South Carolina to hear such cases. Despite the growing bipartisan support, the bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote.
James also wants Americans to pay attention, emphasizing the importance of supporting families who have lost loved ones. She said, “We need all the support we can get — even one phone call or email to a representative. We always say, ‘Thank you for your service.’ Well, this is a way to show it.”