Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune

Kristina Derro, Esq.
Veteran Advocate

The water at Camp Lejeune, a Marine base that began operating in 1941, isn’t just bad – it’s unprecedented, according to a new federal report.

The study, conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, created a historical model to estimate the levels of carcinogens in the drinking water from 1953 to 1985.  To accomplish this, the scientists examined data from tens of thousands of federal and state documents during the period when the water wasn’t tested.

The results of the study, which are considered highly reliable, are staggering.  Certain carcinogenic substances are believed to have reached levels 33 to 153 times higher than what federal regulators consider safe.  These toxic chemicals came from several potential sources, including industrial solvents used at the base.

 
While it has been known for years that the water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated, the release of this report renews serious health concerns for the more than 1 million people that lived and worked on the base from 1953 to 1985.
 

Richard Clapp, an epidemiologist who peer-reviewed the study, said that the findings are dramatic and that Camp Lejeune is the most highly contaminated drinking water in the U.S. that he is aware of.  Residents of the base have reported a wide range of types of cancers, including more than 80 instances of men diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer.

The Marine Corps has not yet commented on the results of this study.  Former residents are hopeful that the government will conduct a cancer incidence study to determine if the contaminated water has caused abnormally high cancer rates.  Unfortunately, without legislation, a study is unlikely to occur.

To read the original article, please visit:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/report-camp-lejeune-water-contaminated-at-unprecedented-levels/2108929

If you are a veteran with questions about obtaining government benefits, contact Legal Help for Veterans, a practice group of Fausone Bohn, LLP, in Northville, Michigan at 800-693-4800 or online at www.legalhelpforveterans.com. 

Reduction in Force Increases Veterans

Jim Fausone, Esq.
Veteran Disability Attorney

The nonsense in Washington has included strangling the DOD of defense budget.   With the wind down in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was inevitable that a troop draw down would occur.  The pace and planning on the draw down is now coming into light.  The Army is to be reduced 60,000 troops and the Marines will reduce 20,000 troops.  Those who know the Veteran Affairs world will know that these 80,000 will face years of delay in getting the medical treatment and VA disability ratings to which they are entitled.  Congress should not force DOD to draw down the troops without insuring that VA can take care of these men and women in the VA system.  The impending cuts are independent of the $1.2 trillion in mandatory cuts, otherwise known as sequestration, which will take place next month if Congress fails to reach a preventative deal.  Congress should at least try to get this right.

http://freebeacon.com/unfit-for-combat/

President Signs Camp Lejeune Bill

JimFausone

Veteran Disability Lawyer

Camp Lejeune is a Marine base in North Carolina.  From 1957 to 1987, Marines and their families were exposed to contaminated ground water.  Health officials believe as many as 1 million people may have been exposed to the tainted groundwater at Camp Lejeune over the thirty years.

Last Monday, President Barack Obama signed into law the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act.  The bill passed with bipartisan support.

The new law provides hospital care and medical services to Marines and their families who were stationed at the base for 30 days or more.  The covered illnesses include multiple types of cancer, leukemia, female infertility, miscarriage, and others.  The law provides this care to Marines and their families even if it can’t be shown that they actually resulted from exposure at Camp Lejeune. 

At a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, President Obama said that these men and women “protect our freedom, and it’s our obligation to do right by them.  This bill takes another important step in fulfilling that commitment.” 

Sadly, this law won’t bring back those we’ve already lost, but it will honor their memory by making a real difference for those who are still suffering. 

Stiggy’s Dogs: “Rescuing One to Help Rescue Another”

by Kristina Derro
Veterans Disability Lawyer

The staff at Legal Help for Veterans had some phenomenal visitors this past week! Members of Stiggy’s Dogs came to visit!

Stiggy’s Dogs was created in memory of Benjamin Phillip (“Doc Stiggy”) Castiglione, a Marine who dedicated his life to preserving and improving the physical and emotional health of those serving in his unit. He gave his life working as a Corpsman in Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan, taking care of “his Marines” until September 3, 2009.

Stiggy’s Dogs is an extraordinary non-profit organization aimed at assisting veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The organization takes shelter dogs and rehabilitates them, training them and turning them into Psychiatric Service Dogs for veterans who suffer from PTSD and/or TBI. The dogs are ADA compliant and as service dogs, are able to go with their veteran into any building!

The Psychiatric Service Dogs are each individually trained to meet their veteran’s specific needs. They are taught to perform tasks ranging from reminding veterans to take their medicine, waking them up from a nightmare, and directing them through a crowd. Research has shown that 82% of veterans with PTSD who were assigned a dog had a decrease in his/her symptoms, and 40% of the veterans had a decrease in the amount of medications that they had to take!

Speaking with a veteran who was given a Psychiatric Service Dog, he discussed how he is now able to leave his house with his dog without constantly fearing panic attacks, and even recently rode on an airplane—a task he previously thought impossible due to his severe psychiatric symptomatology.

It is estimated that there are currently 5 million dogs sitting in shelters across America waiting to be euthanized. Stiggy’s Dogs goal is to rescue shelter dogs, train them to be Psychiatric Service Dogs, and pair them with a well-deserving veteran! By uniting the military hero and the shelter dog, Stiggy’s Dogs is “rescuing one to help rescue another”.


Please visit Stiggy’s Dogs’ website to learn more about the non-profit organization: http://stiggysdogs.org/ Although based in Michigan, they pair both veterans and dogs from around the nation.

As a non-profit, Stiggy’s Dogs relies solely on donations in order to keep its program running. A local news channel recently profiled Stiggy’s Dogs and discussed the need for donations. View that video here: http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/28175414/index.html If you can donate money, dog toys, dog bedding, dog crates, dog food, or even your time, it would be much appreciated.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com