[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 11554-11555]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        U.S. MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE WATER CONTAMINATION

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps is 
Semper Fidelis. Translated, it means, ``Always Faithful,'' but among 
members of the Marine Corps the motto holds a deeper meaning. Semper 
Fidelis represents our Nation's shared commitment to those who dedicate 
their lives to protect us. As a Navy veteran, I know we must always 
honor the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families for the 
sacrifices they make for our Nation everyday.
  Lately, I am afraid Congress has not fulfilled its commitment to our 
men and women in the military, and this is especially evident in the 
lack of support for our military veterans and their families. Our lack 
of assistance for those exposed to the highly contaminated drinking 
water at U.S. Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina is one 
of the best examples of this body's shortcomings.
  Camp Lejeune is the site of one of the largest drinking water 
catastrophes in our Nation's history. Between 1980 and 1985, Camp 
Lejeune drinking water samples conducted by the Marine Corps found high 
levels of volatile organic compounds used by the Marines in solvents 
for industrial degreasing. The contaminated wells were closed in 1985; 
however, the contamination itself may date back until the late 1950s. 
To put the contamination in perspective, the current EPA health 
standard for these chemicals is 5 parts per billon. The tap water 
samples taken at homes and the elementary school between 1980 and 1985 
reached levels as high as 1,400 parts per billon.
  While the health effects of exposure to the contaminates at Camp 
Lejeune are still being studied, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances, 
ATSDR, has documented at least 100 babies exposed in

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utero to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune have birth 
defects and cancers, including spina bifida, leukemia, and clef 
palates. This is at least twice the rate found in the general 
population.
  For the last 20 years, the calls for assistance from those affected 
by this contamination have gone unanswered. The Department of Defense's 
cooperation has been slow, and the political will in Congress has been 
lacking. I will offer a modest amendment to answer the call for help.
  Senator Dole's amendment would do two things. First, it would provide 
veterans' health care benefits to those exposed in utero while at Camp 
Lejeune. The in utero exposures to Camp Lejeune's contaminated water 
happened under the Marine Corps watch, and it is our responsibility to 
assist those who were harmed. Medical assistance is a modest step to 
help restore faith among our veterans and their family members in the 
Government's commitment to them.
  Second, it requires the Marine Corps to notify those who may have 
been exposed to the water contamination upon the completion of the 
ATSDR's study on the human exposures to drinking water. To date, the 
Marine Corps has issued targeted press releases, but information has 
not been sent to all who may have been exposed. The ATSDR's modeling of 
the contaminated water will make it possible to notify exposed segments 
of the Camp Lejeune population, without creating undue worry among the 
greater population that resided on base. This amendment will require 
the Marines to provide notice to those who may have been exposed, to 
outline the events leading to the exposures, to describe the potential 
adverse health effects, and to give the affected people resources they 
can use to obtain more information.
  I thank Senator Dole for her leadership on this issue. Without her, 
this tragic situation would not have gotten the attention it deserves.
  Nevertheless, concerns have been raised about this amendment. The 
people exposed to the highly contaminated drinking water at Camp 
Lejeune have waited for decades for answers. Congress needs to take 
steps now and not delay for years debating this issue.
  For this reason, I have worked with Senator Dole on a second, 
compromise Dole-Jeffords amendment. This amendment would require a 
comprehensive National Academy of Sciences study to be completed within 
18 months to evaluate the strength of the link between TCE and PCE 
exposure and adverse health impacts for prenatal, childhood, and adult 
exposures at Camp Lejeune.
  It also requires the Navy to notify those potentially affected by the 
water contamination at Camp Lejeune so they can learn what happened, 
how it may have affected them, and what steps they may want to consider 
taking now to minimize the potential health impacts. While I am told by 
the Defense Department that individual notification by letter to each 
person affected is impractical, under this compromise amendment, the 
Navy would carry out a media blitz and place a letter on its Web page 
providing the information that those affected deserve to have.
  Again, I thank Senator Dole for taking a bipartisan approach to this 
issue and for pushing to make constructive progress. We have a moral 
responsibility to support our troops and their families, and any 
failure to do so, is a failure to fulfill our commitment embodied in 
the Marine's motto Semper Fidelis. I urge my colleagues to approve this 
compromise amendment.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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