Service members who suffer from illnesses caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune became eligible for compensation on Tuesday thanks to the efforts of U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) now compensates veterans who served more than 30 days at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from 1953 to 1987 who were later diagnosed with illnesses linked to contaminated water there.
Veterans of Camp Lejeune suffering from kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, adult leukemia, multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease, aplastic anemia and bladder cancer from exposure to contaminated water now qualify for disability compensation.
Burr and Tillis worked on the issue with retired Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger, whose six-year-old daughter Janey died in 1985 of a disease called petechiae while Ensminger was stationed at Camp Lejeune.
“It has been a long fight for these veterans to get the compensation they deserve,” Burr said. “I want to thank Jerry Ensminger for his work on behalf of the Lejeune veterans and their families. These men and women sacrificed for our nation and have earned this care and support. I encourage all veterans who may be eligible for compensation to contact my office for assistance making a claim.”
More than 900,000 service members could have been exposed to well water contaminated by human carcinogens at Camp Lejeune, according to VA estimates.
“I am thankful the day has finally come that veterans affected by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune begin receiving compensation,” Tillis said. “This overdue justice is a result of persistence and hard work by a number of people, and I would like to specifically thank Sen. Burr and Jerry Ensminger for tirelessly advocating on behalf of the victims.”