The Camp Lejeune water contamination scandal involves the discovery that between the 1950s and the 1980s, the water supply at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was contaminated with toxic chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride. These chemicals, primarily from leaking storage tanks, industrial waste, and a nearby dry cleaner, were linked to serious health issues such as cancer, birth defects, and other chronic conditions in veterans, their families, and civilian workers who were stationed there.
Despite evidence of contamination, it took decades for the extent of the problem to be acknowledged, leading to significant health repercussions for thousands of people. The scandal led to numerous lawsuits and the passage
Approximately 135k people were affected. The USMC knew about the problem but denied and covered it up for a long time