The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Aug. 2 it will begin a process that may allow some veterans to receive disability pay if they were sickened by drinking contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The VA has provided health care or reimbursement for medical costs for veterans or family members with 15 illnesses related to exposure to water contaminated by solvents and fuels, but it has not given "presumptive status" — meaning they are considered service-related and thereby eligible for disability compensation — to any condition.
The recent announcement may provide an opportunity for veterans to receive disability payments if they have one of three illnesses — kidney cancer, angiosarcoma of the liver and acute myelogenous leukemia — and served at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987.
More than 750,000 people, including troops, family members and civilian employees, may have been exposed to volatile organic compounds and other chemicals like benzene and vinyl chloride found in the drinking water at the coastal Marine Corps base.
The Corps first publicly acknowledged a portion of the problem when it notified residents in an enlisted housing area in 1985 that trace amounts of contaminants had been found in their water and the affected wells were closed. The Corps blamed the problem on illegal dumping by an off-base dry cleaner.
But the pollution was far more extensive and encompassed two major water treatment facilities that served the base and its housing areas for more than three decades. Water tests dating to 1980 but never released to residents or the public indicated high levels of chemicals related to industrial spills, poor disposal practices and leaking underground storage tanks, in addition to the dry cleaning compounds.
Some veterans already receive disability payments for their service-related exposure at Camp Lejeune, but the new regulation would make approval automatic for those with one of the three named illnesses.
Congress in 2012 passed a law requiring VA to provide health care for affected veterans and cover out-of-pocket costs for family members with health conditions related to the toxic water.
Richard Burr, R-N.C., has pressured the VA for years to grant health care and presumptive status to ailing veterans. He expressed disappointment on Aug. 2 that continued pressure on VA and congressional action ultimately were required to "do the right thing for our veterans."
"The scientific research is strong and the widespread denials of benefits will soon end. Now these veterans and their family members will not have to fight for benefits they are due," Burr said.
According to a VA news release, the department will work with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to create a definitive list of service-connected diseases related to exposure, and it will continue to evaluate potential service connection for other illnesses.
Among the diseases for which VA currently offers health care or reimburses family members are cancers like breast, lung, esophageal and bladder cancer, kidney and liver problems, infertility, miscarriage, and birth defects.
Veterans with health problems they believe are related to exposure to the water at Camp Lejeune may file a claim for disability compensation online at www.ebenefits.va.gov, or call 800–827–1000 for assistance, according to VA.
Those who need help getting health care for their conditions can contact their nearest VA facility or call 877-222-8387. VA also has a website dedicated to the issue.
Patricia Kime is a senior writer covering military and veterans health care, medicine and personnel issues.
