Camp Lejeune Justice Act introduced in U.S. Senate by N.C. Republicans, two Democrats

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are moving forward with proposed legislation to provide judicial relief for victims of decades of past drinking water contamination at Camp Lejeune.

On Thursday, North Carolina Republican senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr joined Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Gary Peters (D-MI) in introducing the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021, a bill that would allow claims from Camp Lejeune toxic water survivors to be heard in court.

According to a Tillis press release, the legislation would “correct unfair legal barriers unique to Marine families stationed at Camp Lejeune due to an anomaly in the application of North Carolina law in the federal court system.”

The bill, S.3176, aims to give victims the ability to file a lawsuit in the district court for the Eastern District of North Carolina to seek relief, an option previously denied due to an anomalous North Carolina law that restricted victims from legal action 10 years after exposure.

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“Currently, veterans and their families affected by water contamination issues at Camp Lejeune are running into roadblocks with the application of North Carolina law, keeping them from getting their day in court for often-crippling and deadly medical conditions they have suffered,” Tillis, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Judiciary Committees, said in the release. “I am proud to introduce this legislation with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bring justice for our veterans and their families and provide a fix so these victims have access to courts and the judicial system like they would in other states and territories.”

During the contamination period from 1953 to 1987, hundreds of thousands of Marines, sailors, family members and civilians were exposed to the base's drinking water, which was contaminated with toxins like industrial solvents and benzene.

According to the news release, chemicals found in Lejeune’s water were at levels 240 to 3,400 times safety standards and “significantly increased the risk of cancers, adverse birth outcomes, and other negative health conditions.”

Marine Corps Air Station New River was also impacted by the contamination, which stemmed from sources including leaking storage tanks on base and an off-base dry cleaner.

“For too long, veterans and their families have lived with devastating illnesses caused by exposure to toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune,” Burr said in the release. “Many of these illnesses take years to develop and current law prevents these veterans from taking legal action in North Carolina. This legislation does right by those who served by removing current legal barriers."

In March, a similar bill by the same name was introduced in the House by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Rep. David Price (D-NC) and now has 90 cosponsors. The bill, H.R. 2192, sits with the House Judiciary Committee and was referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in October.

During a House Armed Services Committee markup in September, the bill was introduced as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, but was withdrawn based on funding. According to bill co-sponsor Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), the legislation would come with a price tag of seven to eight billion dollars.

The Department of Veterans Affairs associates 15 illnesses with the water for which veterans can receive free care. The agency has established a presumption of service connection for eight conditions so diagnosed veterans who were exposed are eligible to receive disability; however, family members who resided on the base during the exposure period are only eligible to receive reimbursements for out-of-pocket costs related to the 15 conditions.

For more on veteran health care related to Camp Lejeune, visit www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune.

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Reporter Calvin Shomaker can be reached at cshomaker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Camp Lejeune Justice Act introduced in U.S. Senate