A Trust Betrayed (42 page)

36
. Ibid.

37
. Quoted in ibid.

38
. William R. Levesque, “Now 17 Veterans with Rare Cancer or Tumors with Camp Lejeune Ties,”
St. Petersburg Times
, July 3, 2009,
www.tampabay.com/news/military/veterans/now-17-veterans-with-rare-cancer-or-tumors-with-camp-lejeune-ties/1015699
.

39
. Ibid.

40
. Abbie Boudreau and Scott Bronstein, “Male Breast Cancer Patients Blame Water at Marine Base,” CNN, September 24, 2009,
www.CNN.com/2009/HEALTH/09/24/marines.breast.cancer/
; Abbie Boudreau and Scott Bronstein, “Poisoned Patriots? Stricken Marines Seek Help with Illnesses,” CNN, September 25, 2009,
http://edition.CNN.com/2009/HEALTH/09/25/marines.breast.cancer.folo/
.

41
. Mireya Navarro, “Reversal Haunts Federal Health Agency,”
New York Times
, November 30, 2009.

42
. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), press release, July 28, 2009; Barbara Barrett, “Toxins in Camp Lejeune Water 30 Years Ago Still a Problem,” McClatchy Newspapers, January 28, 2010.

43
. Kevin Maurer, “Navy Will Pay to Restudy Lejeune Water,” Associated Press, December 5, 2009.

44
. Barbara Barrett, “Lejeune Water Study Stalled,” McClatchy Newspapers, February 14, 2010.

45
. Kevin Maurer, “Report on Marines' Water Omitted Cancer Chemical,” Associated Press, February 17, 2010.

46
. Barbara Barrett, “Lejeune Water Probe: Did Marine Corps Hide Benzene Data?”
McClatchy Newspapers, March 9, 2010; Barbara Barrett, “Congress Seeks More Records on Camp Lejeune Tainted Water,” McClatchy Newspapers, March 19, 2010.

47
. William R. Levesque, “Marines Keeping Files Secret?”
St. Petersburg Times
, March 29, 2010.

48
. All quotations from this hearing are from Transcript, Hearing Before the House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, “Camp Lejeune: Contamination and Compensation, Looking Back, Moving Forward,” September 16, 2010, transcript at US Government Printing Office, Federal Digital System,
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111hhrg58485/html/CHRG-111hhrg58485.htm
.

49
. Hope Hodge, “ATSDR Report Sheds Light on Extent of Lejeune Water Contamination,”
Jacksonville (N.C) Daily News
, October 22, 2010.

50
. Hope Hodge, “ATSDR: Lejeune Water ‘Undoubtedly a Hazard,'”
Jacksonville (N.C) Daily News
, October 27, 2010.

51
. Ibid.

14: V
ICTIMS
U
NITE

1
. Roger Weeder, “Local Marines Die, Face Health Issues Years After Service at Camp Lejeune,”
First Coast News
, Jacksonville, Florida, November 16, 2012.

2
. Ibid.

3
. Ibid.

4
. Associated Press, “Ex-NC Marine's Disability from Tainted Water OK'd,” October 29, 2009.

5
. The story by Donna Koehn was “Tom Gervasi Drank, Cooked with and Cleaned with the Water at Camp LeJeune, and Now He Believes It Is Killing Him,”
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
, November 25, 2012,
www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121125/ARCHIVES/211251026
.

6
. Patrick Johnson, “Thomas McLaughlin of Hampden Got Cancer from Exposure to Contaminated Drinking Water While in Marines,
VA
Rules,”
Springfield (Mass.) Republican
, June 12, 2010.

7
. Testimony of Thomas Pamperin, Department of Veterans Affairs, Hearing Before the House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, “Camp Lejeune: Contamination and Compensation, Looking Back, Moving Forward,” September 16, 2010, transcript at US Government Printing Office, Federal Digital System,
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111hhrg58485/html/CHRG-111hhrg58485.htm
; Transcript, Camp Lejeune Community Assistance Panel meeting, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia, April 2, 2012.

8
. Transcript, Camp Lejeune Community Assistance Panel meeting, April 2, 2012.

9
. William R. Levesque, “Camp Lejeune Vets Suffer from Drinking Water Contamination,”
St. Petersburg Times
, May 29, 2009,
www.tampabay.com/news/military/veterans/camp-lejeune-vets-suffer-from-drinking-water-contamination/1005564
; Jody MacPherson, post on chatboard,
Taxlaw.com
, November 29, 2008.

10
. Lou Freshwater, blog post,
Loufreshwater.com
, August 17, 2012.

11
. Barbara Barrett, “Message in Marines' Calendar: Breast Cancer Strikes Men, Too,” McClatchy Newspapers, October 29, 2010.

12
. Denita McCall, blog post, October 29, 2008, 7:08 a.m.,
www.tftptf.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=105&start=0
.

13
. Comments section from Veterans News Now website, under story by Robert O'Dowd, “Lejeune Health Survery Flawed,” May 27, 2011,
www.veteransnewsnow.com/2011/05/26/lejeune-health-survey-study-or-cover-up/
.

14
. Ibid.

15
. Ibid.

16
. Ibid.

15: T
HE
W
AY TO THE
O
VAL
O
FFICE

1
. Opinion of Judge Keith Ellison,
Gros v. US
, United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, September 27, 2005.

2
. Report of the US Navy Judge Advocate General to the American Bar Association, 2010 Annual Meeting, p. 9; Testimony of Pat Leonard, US Navy Judge Advocate General's office, Hearing Before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, “Poisoned Patriots: Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune,” June 12, 2007, transcript at US Government Printing Office, Federal Digital System,
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg37793/html/CHRG-110hhrg37793.htm
.

3
. Associated Press, “Justices Won't Hear Camp Lejeune Water Case,” June 8, 2009.

4
. Anderson, Pangia & Associates, “Lawsuit to Be Filed Regarding Camp Lejeune Water Contamination,” press release, July 1, 2009.

5
. Quotations by Judge Boyle here and below are from Ruling by US District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina,
Laura J. Jones v. United States of America
, February 23, 2010.

6
. Ruling of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit,
Laura J. Jones v. United States of America
, March 14, 2012.

7
. Complaint for personal injury under the Federal Tort Claims Act,
Sharon Kay Boling v. United States of America
, US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, March 30, 2012.

8
. Kent Faulk, “Trussville Parents Say Tainted Water at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Caused Children's Brain Cancer,”
Birmingham (Ala.) News
, July 29, 2010; Complaint,
Joel Shriberg v. United States
, US District Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, January 11, 2011; “Judge to Hear Lejeune Cancer Lawsuit,”
Winston-Salem Journal
, April 16, 2011.

9
. Laurie Villanueva, “Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Lawsuits Consolidated,” February 15, 2011, News Inferno,
www.newsinferno.com/camp-lejeune-toxic-water-lawsuits-consolidated/
; Parker Waichman LLP, “Parker Waichman LLP Opposes U.S. Government Efforts to Have Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuits Filed by Former Marines Dismissed Under Feres Doctrine,” news release, April 17, 2012.

10
. Martha Waggoner, “Federal Agency Begins Survey About Lejeune Water,” Associated Press, June 22, 2011.

11
. Environmental Protection Agency, “Toxicological Review of Trichloroethylene,” September 2011.

12
. Louis Sahagun, “Industrial Solvent
TCE
Even More Dangerous to People,”
Los Angeles Times
, September 30, 2011.

13
. William R. Levesque, “Marines Won't Correct Booklet on Camp Lejeune's Tainted Water,”
St. Petersburg Times
, February 9, 2011,
www.tampabay.com/news/military/marines-wont-correct-booklet-on-camp-lejeunes-tainted-water/1150682
; Hope Hodge, “USMC Pulls Controversial Water Contamination Booklet,”
East North Carolina News
, July 23, 2011.

14
. Letter from Major General J. A. Kessler, assistant deputy commandant for installations and logistics, Marine Corps headquarters, to Thomas Sinks, deputy director, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, January 5, 2012; Lynne Peeples, “Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Cover-Up Hinted in Navy Letter,”
Huffington Post
, January 13, 2012.

15
. Hope Hodge, “New Lejeune Water Report Raises Watchdog Hackles,”
Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News
, January 20, 2012.

16
. Letter from Robert E. Faye, Eastern Research Group, to Christopher Portier, director, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, February 19, 2012.

17
. Letter from Senator Richard Burr to Daniel Levinson, Office of the Inspector General, US Department of Health and Human Services, March 7, 2012.

18
. Martha Waggoner, “US Senate Panel Hears About Camp Lejeune Water,” Associated Press, March 13, 2012.

19
. “In Defense Spending Bill, a Map Around Congressional Gridlock,”
Washington Post
, January 4, 2011,
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010305667.html
.

20
. Barbara Barrett, “Hagan, Burr Push Anew to Help Camp Lejeune Water Victims,” McClatchy Newspapers, February 3, 2011.

21
. Martha Waggoner, “Vet's Plea for Help Ends Forum on NC Toxic Water,” Associated Press, July 20, 2011; Environmental Working Group, “Cancer-Afflicted Marines Call on Obama for Support,” news release, December 14, 2011.

22
. Elizabeth Dole, “Congress and Camp Lejeune's Water,”
Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer
, January 10, 2012.

23
. “Retired Marine Calls on Veterans Affairs to Help Poisoned Military Families,” May 24, 2012, press release,
Change.org
.

24
. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, “Summary and Findings: Analyses and Historical Reconstruction of Drinking Water in the Hadnot Point and Holcomb Boulevard Water Treatment Plants Service Areas,” January 2013; Franco Ordonez, “Scientists Confirm Marines' Poisonous Camp Lejeune Water Wells Date Back to Mid-Century,” McClatchy Newspapers, March 15, 2013,
www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/03/15/185993/scientists-confirm-marines-poisonous.html#.UjjMidKTguc
.

25
. Allen G. Breed, “After Nearly 30 Years, Camp Lejeune Coming Clean,” Associated Press, May 18, 2013,
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/after-nearly-30-years-camp-lejeune-coming-clean
.

26
. Allen G. Breed, “Marine Who Dumped Toxins Felt Illness Was Payback,” Associated Press, May 18, 2013,
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/marine-who-dumped-toxins-felt-illness-was-payback
.

27
. Ibid.

28
. Quoted in ibid.

29
. Ibid.

16: C
HANGING THE
C
ULTURE

1
. Lieutenant Colonel Wesley Hayes, US Marine Corps headquarters, e-mail to author, June 10, 2013.

2
. President's Cancer Panel, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now,” 2008–2009 Annual Report, US Department of Health and Human Services, April 2010,
http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08–09rpt/PCP_Report_08–09_508.pdf
.

3
. Cat Lazaroff, “Contaminated Texas Air Base Blamed for Neighbors' Illnesses,” Environmental News Service, May 4, 2000; Ralph Vartabedian, “Cancer Stalks a ‘Toxic Triangle,'”
Los Angeles Times
, March 30, 2006; Steve Lerner, “San Antonio, Texas: Contamination from Kelly Air Force Base Is Suspected of Causing Sickness and Death Among Residents in Adjacent Latino Community,” Collaborative on Health and the Environment, August 23, 2007.

4
. “Frank Vera,” in “Personal Accounts,” George Air Force Base, CA: Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste,
www.georgeafb.info/personal-accounts/frank-vera
.

5
. Steve Vogel, “
VA
Struggling with Disability Claims,”
Washington Post
, November 11,
2012; Aaron Glantz, “
VA
Number of Veterans Who Die Waiting for Benefits Claims Skyrockets,”
Daily Beast
, December 20, 2012,
www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/20/number-of-veterans-who-die-waiting-for-benefits-claims-skyrockets.html
; William R. Levesque, “
VA
Blasted for Dragging Feet on Aiding Camp Lejeune Families,”
Tampa Bay Times
, March 3, 2013,
www.tampabay.com/news/military/veterans/
VA
-blasted-for-dragging-feet-on-aiding-camp-lejeune-families/1277317
.