The far-reaching, untold effects of contaminated water in Jacksonville, N.C.
Doctors told Mike Partain in April 2007 that he had breast cancer, a rare diagnosis that the insurance claims representative initially attributed to the whims of genetics.
Joe Covella never was a heavy drinker or drug user, so he was mystified when he was diagnosed at 40 years old with a fatty liver, a condition that can severely damage the organ.
Rheumatoid arthritis cost Bonnie Anderson thousands of dollars in medical bills, both hips and years spent wondering whether there was something other than fate to blame for her affliction.
While all three live or have lived in Jacksonville, the key to their health problems was a town three states away with the same name: Jacksonville, N.C., home of the Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune.
Over four decades, an estimated 500,000 citizens and soldiers were exposed to drinking water tainted by chemicals used at a dry-cleaning establishment near the 246-square-mile training base.
The government has known about the water pollution for more than a quarter-century. But Partain, Covella, Anderson and many others impacted by the contamination have only become aware of Lejeune’s problems during the past couple of years, usually from media reports or word of mouth.
The delay has triggered bitter congressional testimony and calls for reform. Pressure from lawmakers, coupled with legislation signed by President George W. Bush, have led to beefed-up efforts to notify veterans, their families and former civilian workers of Lejeune’s former water troubles. (The contaminated wells were shut down in 1985.)
But health and military officials face an enormous task: Military bases like Lejeune are often little more than stepping stones for service members and their families. Many use the stones to get where they are going; few stay for long.