The U.S. Navy and the Department of Justice have announced a new plan to offer payouts to people who were harmed by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina.
The new plan, called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, would offer payments of up to $450,000 to people who were diagnosed with certain diseases as a result of exposure to the contaminated water. The diseases covered by the plan include cancer, leukemia, and a variety of other health problems.
The plan is designed to speed up the process of getting compensation to people who have been harmed by the contaminated water. The current system, which involves filing individual lawsuits, can take years to resolve.
The Navy and the Justice Department hope that the new plan will encourage more people to come forward and file claims. The plan is also designed to be more equitable than the current system, which has been criticized for favoring people who have the financial resources to hire lawyers.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is still in the early stages of development. The Navy and the Justice Department are still working on the details of the plan, such as how the payments will be calculated and who will be eligible.
The plan is expected to be finalized in the coming months. The Navy and the Justice Department hope to start making payments under the plan in early 2024.
The Camp Lejeune contaminated water is one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history. Between 1953 and 1987, the base's water supply was contaminated with a variety of toxic chemicals, including benzene, trichloroethylene, and dioxin. Thousands of service members and their families who were stationed at Camp Lejeune have been diagnosed with serious health problems, including cancer, birth defects, and neurological disorders.
The victims of the Camp Lejeune contaminated water have been fighting for decades for compensation from the government. The Navy has reached settlements with some of the victims, but many more cases remain unresolved.
The new plan from the Navy and the Justice Department is a significant development in the long-running saga of the Camp Lejeune contaminated water. The plan could provide much-needed relief to the victims of the disaster and help to bring closure to this chapter in American history.