The Act was passed by the House of Representatives in January and passed by the Senate on June 16, 2022. It will soon be signed into law by President Biden. This is a tremendous step toward justice for the many Marines and their families who suffered from exposure to toxins in the Camp Lejeune water supply. With its passage, Veterans and their families will be able to file lawsuits without the concern that the Department of Justice will rely on various immunities to deny these families justice.
Persons who lived and worked aboard Camp Lejeune, for more than 30 days, between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 will be able to file suit under the Act. Of course, they will still need to prove that their exposure to TCE, PCE, vinyl chloride, and benzene caused them harm. A fighting chance is all that those suffering from the laundry list of cancers and other harms caused by this toxic exposure are asking for.
While the Act is a good first step, our Nation must come to the aid of all Veterans and families who have suffered from toxic exposure on military installations across our country. Military families have sacrificed enough without sacrificing their health and well-being because our Nation abandoned basic principles of environmental stewardship and fundamental fairness. Now, Congress must take the next step to address this for all those harmed.
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