Defense Health Care
Activities Related to Past Drinking Water Contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Gao ID: GAO-07-276 May 11, 2007In the early 1980s, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were discovered in some of the water systems serving housing areas on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Exposure to certain VOCs may cause adverse health effects, including cancer. In 1999, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) began a study to examine whether individuals who were exposed in utero to the contaminated drinking water are more likely to have developed certain childhood cancers or birth defects. ATSDR has projected a December 2007 completion date for the study. The National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2005 required GAO to report on past drinking water contamination and related health effects at Camp Lejeune. In this report GAO describes (1) efforts to identify and address the past contamination, (2) activities resulting from concerns about possible adverse health effects and government actions related to the past contamination, and (3) the design of the current ATSDR study, including the study's population, time frame, selected health effects, and the reasonableness of the projected completion date. GAO reviewed documents, interviewed officials and former residents, and contracted with the National Academy of Sciences to convene an expert panel to assess the design of the current ATSDR study.
Efforts to identify and address the past drinking water contamination at Camp Lejeune began in the 1980s, when Navy water testing at Camp Lejeune detected VOCs in some base water systems. In 1982 and 1983, continued testing identified two VOCs--trichloroethylene (TCE), a metal degreaser, and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a dry cleaning solvent--in two water systems that served base housing areas, Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace. In 1984 and 1985 a Navy environmental program identified VOCs, such as TCE and PCE, in some of the individual wells serving the Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace water systems. Ten wells were subsequently removed from service. Department of Defense (DOD) and North Carolina officials concluded that on- and off-base sources were likely to have caused the contamination. It has not been determined when contamination at Hadnot Point began. ATSDR has estimated that well contamination at Tarawa Terrace from an off-base dry cleaner began as early as 1957. Activities related to concerns about possible adverse health effects began in 1991, when ATSDR initiated a public health assessment evaluating the possible health risks from exposure to the contaminated drinking water. The health assessment was followed by two health studies, one of which is ongoing. While ATSDR did not always receive requested funding and experienced delays in receiving information from DOD for its Camp Lejeune-related work, ATSDR officials said this has not significantly delayed their work. Former residents and employees have filed about 750 claims against the federal government. Additionally, three federal inquiries into issues related to the contamination have been conducted--one by a Marine Corps-chartered panel and two by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Members of the expert panel that the National Academy of Sciences convened generally agreed that many parameters of ATSDR's current study are appropriate, including the study population, the exposure time frame, and the selected health effects. ATSDR's study is examining whether individuals who were exposed in utero to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune between 1968 and 1985 were more likely to have specific birth defects or childhood cancers than those not exposed. DOD, EPA, and HHS provided technical comments on a draft of this report, which GAO incorporated where appropriate. Three members of an ATSDR community assistance panel for Camp Lejeune provided oral comments on issues such as other VOCs that have been detected at Camp Lejeune, and compensation, health benefits, and additional notification for former residents. GAO focused its review on TCE and PCE because they were identified by ATSDR as the chemicals of primary concern. GAO's report notes that other VOCs were detected. GAO incorporated the panel members' comments where appropriate, but some issues were beyond the scope of this report.
GAO-07-276, Defense Health Care: Activities Related to Past Drinking Water Contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
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Report to Congressional Committees:
United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
May 2007:
Defense Health Care:
Activities Related to Past Drinking Water Contamination at Marine Corps
Base Camp Lejeune:
GAO-07-276:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-07-276, a report to congressional committees
Why GAO Did This Study:
In the early 1980s, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were discovered
in some of the water systems serving housing areas on Marine Corps Base
Camp Lejeune. Exposure to certain VOCs may cause adverse health
effects, including cancer. In 1999, the Department of Health and Human
Services‘ (HHS) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) began a study to examine whether individuals who were exposed
in utero to the contaminated drinking water are more likely to have
developed certain childhood cancers or birth defects. ATSDR has
projected a December 2007 completion date for the study.
The National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2005 required GAO
to report on past drinking water contamination and related health
effects at Camp Lejeune. In this report GAO describes (1) efforts to
identify and address the past contamination, (2) activities resulting
from concerns about possible adverse health effects and government
actions related to the past contamination, and (3) the design of the
current ATSDR study, including the study‘s population, time frame,
selected health effects, and the reasonableness of the projected
completion date. GAO reviewed documents, interviewed officials and
former residents, and contracted with the National Academy of Sciences
to convene an expert panel to assess the design of the current ATSDR
study.
What GAO Found:
Efforts to identify and address the past drinking water contamination
at Camp Lejeune began in the 1980s, when Navy water testing at Camp
Lejeune detected VOCs in some base water systems. In 1982 and 1983,
continued testing identified two VOCs”trichloroethylene (TCE), a metal
degreaser, and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a dry cleaning solvent”in two
water systems that served base housing areas, Hadnot Point and Tarawa
Terrace. In 1984 and 1985 a Navy environmental program identified VOCs,
such as TCE and PCE, in some of the individual wells serving the Hadnot
Point and Tarawa Terrace water systems. Ten wells were subsequently
removed from service. Department of Defense (DOD) and North Carolina
officials concluded that on- and off-base sources were likely to have
caused the contamination. It has not been determined when contamination
at Hadnot Point began. ATSDR has estimated that well contamination at
Tarawa Terrace from an off-base dry cleaner began as early as 1957.
Activities related to concerns about possible adverse health effects
began in 1991, when ATSDR initiated a public health assessment
evaluating the possible health risks from exposure to the contaminated
drinking water. The health assessment was followed by two health
studies, one of which is ongoing. While ATSDR did not always receive
requested funding and experienced delays in receiving information from
DOD for its Camp Lejeune-related work, ATSDR officials said this has
not significantly delayed their work. Former residents and employees
have filed about 750 claims against the federal government.
Additionally, three federal inquiries into issues related to the
contamination have been conducted”one by a Marine Corps-chartered panel
and two by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Members of the expert panel that the National Academy of Sciences
convened generally agreed that many parameters of ATSDR‘s current study
are appropriate, including the study population, the exposure time
frame, and the selected health effects. ATSDR‘s study is examining
whether individuals who were exposed in utero to the contaminated
drinking water at Camp Lejeune between 1968 and 1985 were more likely
to have specific birth defects or childhood cancers than those not
exposed.
DOD, EPA, and HHS provided technical comments on a draft of this
report, which GAO incorporated where appropriate. Three members of an
ATSDR community assistance panel for Camp Lejeune provided oral
comments on issues such as other VOCs that have been detected at Camp
Lejeune, and compensation, health benefits, and additional notification
for former residents. GAO focused its review on TCE and PCE because
they were identified by ATSDR as the chemicals of primary concern.
GAO‘s report notes that other VOCs were detected. GAO incorporated the
panel members‘ comments where appropriate, but some issues were beyond
the scope of this report.
[Hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-276].
To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on
the link above. For more information, contact Marcia Crosse at (202)
512-7119 or crossem@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Contents:
Letter:
Results in Brief:
Background:
Efforts to Identify and Address Past Drinking Water Contamination at
Camp Lejeune Began in the 1980s and Continue with Long-Term Cleanup and
Monitoring:
Concerns about Possible Adverse Health Effects and Government Actions
Related to the Past Contamination Have Led to Additional Activities:
Experts Convened by NAS Generally Agreed That Many Parameters of
ATSDR's Current Study Were Appropriate but Some Experts Suggested
Potential Modifications to the Study:
Agency Comments:
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology:
Appendix II: Selected Events Related to Past Drinking Water
Contamination at Camp Lejeune from 1980 through 1981:
Appendix III: Selected Events Related to Past Drinking Water
Contamination at Camp Lejeune from 1982 through 1983:
Appendix IV: Selected Volatile Organic Compounds Detected in Wells at
Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace Water Systems:
Appendix V: Selected Events Related to Past Drinking Water
Contamination at Camp Lejeune from 1984 through 1985:
Appendix VI: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's
Response to its 2005 Scientific Advisory Panel's Recommendations:
Appendix VII: Description of Current Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR) Health Study:
Appendix VIII: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
Tables:
Table 1: EPA Guidance and Regulations for Trichloroethylene (TCE) and
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in Drinking Water:
Table 2: Sampling Results from Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace Water
Systems for May 1982 and July 1982:
Table 3: Dates Wells Were Removed from Service in 1984 and 1985 at
Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace Water Systems, and TCE and PCE Levels
Detected in Each Well:
Table 4: Information about Potential Sites of Contamination for the
Hadnot Point Water System:
Table 5: Funding of ATSDR Activities at Camp Lejeune from Fiscal Years
1991 through 2006:
Table 6: Potential and Confirmed Cases of Childhood Cancers and Birth
Defects as of April 2006:
Figures:
Figure 1: Conceptual Model of a Camp Lejeune Water System:
Figure 2: Selected Water Service Areas at Camp Lejeune Serving Base
Housing from the 1970s through 1987:
Abbreviations:
1, 1-DCE: 1,1-dichloroethylene:
ATSDR: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry:
CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act:
CID: Criminal Investigation Division:
DERP: Defense Environmental Restoration Program:
DOD: Department of Defense:
DOJ: Department of Justice:
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency:
HHS: Department of Health and Human Services:
JAG: Judge Advocate General:
LANTDIV: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division:
NACIP: Navy Assessment and Control of Installation Pollutants:
NAS: National Academy of Sciences:
NEHC: Navy Environmental Health Center:
OIG: Office of Inspector General:
PCE: tetrachloroethylene:
SARA: Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act:
TCE: trichloroethylene:
Trans-1,2-DCE: trans-1,2- dichloroethylene:
TTHMs: total trihalomethanes:
USAEHA: U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agenc:
VOC: volatile organic compound:
United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
May 11, 2007:
The Honorable Carl Levin:
Chairman:
The Honorable John McCain:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Daniel Inouye:
Chairman:
The Honorable Ted Stevens:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Defense:
Committee on Appropriations:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Ike Skelton:
Chairman:
The Honorable Duncan Hunter:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
House of Representatives:
The Honorable John P. Murtha:
Chairman:
The Honorable C. W. Bill Young:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Defense:
Committee on Appropriations:
House of Representatives:
In the early 1980s, Department of the Navy water testing at Marine
Corps Base Camp Lejeune identified contamination in water systems that
served housing areas on the base.[Footnote 1] Further water testing
revealed that some of the individual wells serving two of the water
systems were contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such
as trichloroethylene (TCE), which is a metal degreaser and an
ingredient in adhesives and paint removers, and tetrachloroethylene
(PCE), which is a solvent used in the textile industry and a dry
cleaning solvent. By 1985, 10 wells that were determined to be
contaminated with VOCs had been removed from service.[Footnote 2]
Although it is not known precisely when the wells became contaminated,
the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), which is investigating the
issue, has estimated that the contamination may have begun as early as
the 1950s. According to ATSDR, the VOCs of primary concern at Camp
Lejeune were TCE and PCE, and the agency notes that exposure to these
chemicals may cause adverse health effects. For example, exposure to
low levels of TCE may cause headaches and difficulty
concentrating.[Footnote 3] Exposure to high levels of both TCE and PCE
may cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, unconsciousness, cancer, and
possibly death.[Footnote 4]
As required by federal law,[Footnote 5] ATSDR conducted a public health
assessment at Camp Lejeune after the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) designated the base as a National Priorities List[Footnote 6]
site in 1989. The health assessment recommended that studies be
conducted to evaluate the risks of childhood cancer related to VOC
exposure at Camp Lejeune and noted that adverse pregnancy outcomes were
also of concern.[Footnote 7] The first study based on the health
assessment was released in 1998[Footnote 8] and found a statistically
significant association between exposure and some adverse pregnancy
outcomes. In 1999, ATSDR initiated a second study that currently is
examining whether individuals who were exposed in utero (i.e., as
developing fetuses during gestation) and as infants up to 1 year of age
to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune between 1968 and
1985 are more likely to have developed specific childhood cancers or
birth defects than those who were not exposed. ATSDR has projected a
December 2007 completion date for the study. In addition to ATSDR's
Camp Lejeune-related work, three inquiries into the issues related to
the past drinking water contamination have been conducted, one by a
Marine Corps-chartered panel, one by EPA's Office of Inspector General
(OIG), and one by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
Former residents of Camp Lejeune have taken legal action against the
federal government for injuries alleged to have resulted from exposure
to the contaminated water. In addition, some former residents have
expressed concern over the Marine Corps' handling of and response to
the drinking water contamination, noting that even though contaminants
were detected as early as 1980, the wells that were determined to be
contaminated were not removed from service until 1985. Some former
residents have also asserted that there have been delays in the
provision of funding and information from the Department of Defense
(DOD) to ATSDR,[Footnote 9] and have said that DOD and EPA's responses
to their requests for drinking water contamination-related documents
have sometimes been inadequate. Finally, some former residents have
raised concerns about various aspects of ATSDR's ongoing study,
including whether the study population, time frame, and selected health
effects are too limited to adequately represent those who were
potentially affected, and about ATSDR's projected December 2007 study
completion date because the federal government plans to wait to
adjudicate their claims until the study is complete.
The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year
2005 directed that we study and report on the past drinking water
contamination and related adverse health effects at Camp Lejeune,
including identifying the type, source, and duration of the
contamination, determining the actions taken to address the
contamination, and assessing the current ATSDR health study.[Footnote
10] The act also requires that our study consider information and
opinions from individuals who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune during
the period when the drinking water may have been contaminated. As
discussed with the committees of jurisdiction, in this report we
examine the history of events related to drinking water contamination
at Camp Lejeune. Specifically, we (1) examine efforts to identify and
address the past contamination; (2) describe activities resulting from
concerns about possible adverse health effects and government actions
related to the past contamination, such as the current ATSDR health
study; and, (3) describe an assessment by an independent panel of
experts of the design of the current ATSDR health study, including the
study's population, the exposure time frame, selected health effects
being measured, and the reasonableness of the projected completion
date.
To examine efforts to identify and address the past
contamination,[Footnote 11] we reviewed more than 1,600 documents
related to past and current drinking water activities at Camp Lejeune.
We focused our review on the past TCE and PCE contamination because
ATSDR had noted that these chemicals were the VOCs of primary concern
at Camp Lejeune. However, we also reviewed documentation regarding
other VOCs detected at Camp Lejeune. We interviewed current and former
officials from various DOD entities, including Camp Lejeune,
Headquarters Marine Corps, and the Department of the Navy, to obtain
information about the history of events related to the past drinking
water contamination at Camp Lejeune, including efforts to identify and
address the contamination. The current and former officials interviewed
often provided information based on their memory of events that
occurred more than 20 years ago. We attempted to corroborate their
testimonial evidence with documentation whenever possible. The former
officials we interviewed were responsible for environmental activities
at Camp Lejeune or the Department of the Navy during the time in which
the contamination was detected. The current officials we interviewed
are responsible for environmental activities at Camp Lejeune,
Headquarters Marine Corps, or the Department of the Navy. Some of these
current officials were also responsible for environmental activities
during the time in which the contamination was detected. We also met
with 19 interested former residents and individuals who worked on the
base during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, in order to obtain their
perspective on historical events and to learn about their concerns
related to the drinking water contamination. A former resident who is
active in matters related to the past drinking water contamination at
Camp Lejeune identified most of the interested former residents; others
were identified at an ATSDR public meeting. Additionally, we examined
reports from and interviewed officials with EPA and with the North
Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources who were
knowledgeable about activities and costs related to the cleanup of the
suspected sources of contamination.
To describe activities resulting from concerns about the possible
adverse health effects and government actions related to past drinking
water contamination, including efforts to study potential health
effects and federal inquiries into the response to the contamination,
we reviewed documents, interviewed agency officials, and attended
agency meetings. To examine the activities undertaken by ATSDR to study
possible adverse health effects related to the drinking water
contamination, we interviewed ATSDR officials and reviewed ATSDR's Camp
Lejeune-related documents and publications, including the 1997 public
health assessment and the ATSDR health study released in 1998. We did
not evaluate the methodology or findings of the health assessment or
health study. We also attended the meetings and reviewed the reports of
expert review panels convened by ATSDR in 2005 regarding improving the
study's water modeling efforts and future studies of health effects. We
attended the February and April 2006 meetings of the ATSDR community
assistance panel which is made up of seven former residents of Camp
Lejeune. We also reviewed meeting transcripts from the July and
September 2006 meetings. We also interviewed officials with the
Department of the Navy and the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion
and Preventive Medicine, which serves as a liaison between DOD and
ATSDR. We also interviewed officials with the Department of the Navy
Judge Advocate General and the Department of Justice regarding the
status of the legal claims related to Camp Lejeune. To describe the
three federal inquiries into issues related to the drinking water
contamination, we reviewed the reports of a Marine Corps panel, the EPA
OIG, and the EPA CID, and we interviewed EPA officials.
To assess the design of the current ATSDR health study, we contracted
with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to convene a panel of seven
subject area experts for a 1-day meeting on July 29, 2005. The expert
panel was charged with evaluating the study's population, exposure time
frame, selected health effects, and completion date. For the assessment
of the ATSDR study, we relied primarily on information gleaned from the
expert panel meeting and the panel experts' subsequent written
responses to the set of questions that were discussed during the 1-day
meeting. Panel members were invited as individual experts, not as
organizational representatives, and were not asked to reach consensus
on any topics. NAS was not asked to provide advice or produce any
report, and the comments made during the meeting of the expert panel
should not be interpreted to represent the views of NAS, of the
organizations with which the panel members were affiliated, or of all
experts regarding health studies related to drinking water
contamination. Not all panel members commented individually about each
of the questions discussed during the 1-day meeting. Additionally, some
panel members noted that certain questions addressed subjects that were
outside their areas of expertise. We also reviewed study-related
documentation furnished by officials from ATSDR, Marine Corps, and Navy
Environmental Health Center, and interviewed officials from those
agencies. We conducted our work from May 2005 through April 2007 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. (See
app. I for further detail on our scope and methodology.)
Results in Brief:
Efforts to identify and address past drinking water contamination at
Camp Lejeune began in the 1980s, when the Navy initiated water testing,
and are continuing with long-term cleanup and monitoring. In 1980,
VOCs, including TCE, were first detected at Camp Lejeune during an
analysis by a Navy-contracted laboratory that combined treated water
from all base water systems. During the same year, the Navy began
monitoring Camp Lejeune's treated water for total trihalomethanes
(TTHMs), contaminants that are a byproduct of the water treatment
process. The TTHM monitoring indicated interference from unidentified
chemicals. In 1982 and 1983, continued TTHM monitoring identified TCE
and another VOC, PCE, as contaminants in two separate water systems
that served base housing areas, Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace.
Sampling results indicated that the levels of TCE and PCE found in the
water systems varied. Former Camp Lejeune environmental officials said
that they did not take additional steps to address the contamination
after TCE and PCE were identified. The former officials recalled that
they did not act because at that time they had little knowledge about
TCE and PCE, there were no drinking water regulations that gave
enforceable limits for these chemicals, and variation in water testing
results raised questions about the tests' validity. Also in 1982, a
Navy environmental program began investigating potentially contaminated
sites at many Marine Corps and Navy bases, including Camp Lejeune.
Testing initiated under that program in 1984 and 1985 found that
individual wells in the Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace water systems
were contaminated with TCE, PCE, and other VOCs. Camp Lejeune officials
removed 10 contaminated wells from service in 1984 and 1985. Camp
Lejeune officials determined that several areas on base where hazardous
waste and other materials were disposed may have been the sources of
contamination for the Hadnot Point water system, and North Carolina
environmental officials determined that an off-base dry cleaner was the
likely source of contamination for the Tarawa Terrace water system.
Efforts are ongoing by ATSDR to determine when contamination at Hadnot
Point began. In 2006, ATSDR estimated that well contamination from the
off-base dry cleaner began as early as 1957. In 1989, EPA placed both
Camp Lejeune and the off-base dry cleaner on the National Priorities
List. Since that time, federal, state, and Camp Lejeune officials have
partnered to take long-term actions to clean up the sources of
contamination and to monitor and protect the base's drinking water.
Cleanup activities have included the removal of contaminated soils and
gasoline storage tanks and the treatment of contaminated groundwater
and soils.
Concerns about possible adverse health effects and government actions
related to the past drinking water contamination have led to additional
activities, including health studies, claims against the federal
government, and federal inquiries. From 1991 to 1997, ATSDR conducted a
public health assessment at Camp Lejeune. The assessment recommended
that studies be carried out to evaluate the risks of childhood cancer
related to exposure to the contaminated drinking water. In 1998, an
ATSDR study found a statistically significant association between
exposure to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune and some
adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as small for gestational age.[Footnote
12] In 1999, ATSDR began its current study to determine whether
individuals who were exposed in utero and as infants up to 1 year of
age to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune between 1968 and
1985 were more likely to have developed specific birth defects or
childhood cancers. Since ATSDR began its Camp Lejeune-related work in
1991, the agency has not always received requested funding and
experienced delays in receiving information from DOD. For example, for
3 of the 16 fiscal years during which ATSDR has conducted its Camp
Lejeune-related work (fiscal years 1998 through 2000), no funding was
provided to ATSDR by the Navy or any DOD entity. However, ATSDR
officials said that these funding and information issues had not
significantly delayed ATSDR's work at Camp Lejeune. Former Camp Lejeune
residents and employees have filed about 750 tort claims against the
federal government for injuries alleged to have resulted from exposure
to the contaminated drinking water. Additionally, three federal
inquiries into issues related to the drinking water contamination at
Camp Lejeune have been conducted--one in 2004 by a Marine Corps-
chartered panel, one in 2005 by the EPA OIG, and one from 2003 through
2005 by the EPA CID. The inquiry conducted by the Marine Corps-
chartered panel found that the Marine Corps acted responsibly and found
no evidence that the Marine Corps had attempted to cover up information
that indicated contamination in Camp Lejeune's drinking water. However,
the Marine Corps-chartered panel also criticized some actions taken by
Camp Lejeune and Department of the Navy officials, such as inadequate
communications among these entities about the drinking water
contamination. The EPA OIG found that some EPA officials' responses to
a citizen's requests regarding Camp Lejeune-related documents were
inadequate or inappropriate. The EPA CID investigation did not find any
violations of federal law but criticized some actions taken by Marine
Corps and Department of the Navy officials, such as a lack of diligence
by a Navy environmental support entity in providing technical expertise
to Camp Lejeune's environmental officials.
The experts convened by the National Academy of Sciences generally
agreed that many parameters of ATSDR's current study are appropriate,
but some experts suggested potential modifications to the study.
Regarding the study population, all seven panel experts agreed that
ATSDR's study population of individuals who were potentially exposed in
utero to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune between 1968
and 1985 was appropriate, as this population was arguably the most
vulnerable to the effects of the contamination. Panel experts generally
agreed that the 1968-1985 study time frame was reasonable, based on
limitations in data availability for the years prior to 1968. However,
six of the panel experts said that extending the time frame after 1985
to include a comparison population of individuals who were not exposed
to the contamination could help strengthen the ATSDR study. Regarding
the health effects studied, the five panel experts who discussed health
effects said that the selected birth defects and childhood cancers were
relevant. Four panel experts said that additional adverse health
outcomes not included in the study could also be related to this
exposure, including adverse neurological or behavioral effects and
pregnancy loss. Regarding the proposed completion date, the panel
experts had mixed opinions: three of the five panel experts who
commented said that the projected December 2007 date appeared
reasonable, while two said that the date might be optimistic. Four
panel experts said that if ATSDR modified its study to use a simpler
method of analysis, it could expedite completion of the study. Panel
experts identified some potential modifications to the design of the
current ATSDR study, such as conducting separate analyses for
individuals who were born on base and for those who were born off base.
DOD, EPA, and HHS provided technical comments on a draft of this
report, which we incorporated where appropriate. We provided the seven
former Camp Lejeune residents who are members of the ATSDR community
assistance panel for Camp Lejeune the opportunity to provide comments
on our draft--three of the panel members provided both technical and
general oral comments, and four declined to review the draft report.
The three panel members commented generally on issues such as VOCs
other than TCE and PCE that have been detected at Camp Lejeune,
compensation and health benefits for former residents, and additional
notification for former residents. We incorporated the panel members'
technical comments where appropriate, but some issues they discussed
were beyond the scope of this report.
Background:
Drinking water can come from either groundwater sources, via wells, or
from surface water sources such as rivers, lakes, and streams. All
sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring
contaminants. As water flows in streams, sits in lakes, and filters
thorough layers of soil and rock in the ground, it dissolves or absorbs
the substances that it touches. Some of these contaminants are
harmless, but others can pose a threat to drinking water, such as
improperly disposed-of chemicals, pesticides, and certain naturally
occurring substances. Likewise, drinking water that is not properly
treated or disinfected, or which travels through an improperly
maintained water system, may pose a health risk. However, the presence
of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health
risk--all drinking water may reasonably be expected to contain at least
small amounts of some contaminants. As of July 2006, EPA had set
standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water that may
pose a risk to human health. According to EPA, water that contains
small amounts of these contaminants, as long as they are below EPA's
standards, is safe to drink. However, EPA notes that people with
severely compromised immune systems and children may be more vulnerable
to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.
General Information about Camp Lejeune and Its Water Systems:
Camp Lejeune began operations in the 1940s. The base covers
approximately 233 square miles in Onslow County, North Carolina, and
includes training schools for infantry, engineers, service support, and
medical support, as well as a Naval Hospital and Naval Dental Center.
Base housing at Camp Lejeune consists of enlisted family housing,
officer family housing, and bachelor housing, which consists of
barracks for unmarried service personnel. The base has nine family
housing areas, and families live in base housing for an average of 2
years. Additionally, schools, day care centers, and administrative
offices are located on the base. Approximately 54,000 people currently
live and work at Camp Lejeune, including about 43,000 active duty
personnel and 11,000 military dependents and civilian employees.
In the 1980s, Camp Lejeune obtained its drinking water from as many as
eight water systems, which were fed by more than 100 individual wells
that pumped water from a freshwater aquifer located approximately 180
feet below the ground. Each of Camp Lejeune's water systems included
wells, a water treatment plant, reservoirs, elevated storage tanks, and
distribution lines to provide the treated water to the systems'
respective service areas. Drinking water at Camp Lejeune has been
created by combining and treating groundwater from multiple individual
wells that are rotated on and off, so that not all wells are providing
water to the system at any given time. Water is treated in order to
remove minerals and particles and to protect against microbial
contamination. (See fig. 1 for a description of how a Camp Lejeune
water system operates.)
Figure 1: Conceptual Model of a Camp Lejeune Water System:
[See PDF for image]
Source: GAO, Art Explosion, and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Note: Water treatment processes may not remove all contaminants present
in untreated water.
[End of figure]
From the 1970s through 1987, Hadnot Point, Tarawa Terrace, Holcomb
Boulevard, and Rifle Range water systems provided drinking water to
most of Camp Lejeune's housing areas. (See fig. 2 for the locations of
these water service areas.) The water treatment plants for the Hadnot
Point and Tarawa Terrace water systems were constructed during the
1940s and 1950s. The Rifle Range water system was constructed in 1965.
The water treatment plant for the Holcomb Boulevard water system began
operating at Camp Lejeune in 1972; prior to this time, the Hadnot Point
water system provided water to the Holcomb Boulevard service area. In
the 1980s, each of these four systems had between 4 and 35 wells that
could provide water to their respective service areas. In 1987 the
Tarawa Terrace water treatment plant was shut down and the Holcomb
Boulevard water distribution system was expanded to include the Tarawa
Terrace water service area.
Figure 2: Selected Water Service Areas at Camp Lejeune Serving Base
Housing from the 1970s through 1987:
[See PDF for image]
Source: ATSDR.
[End of figure]
Generally, housing units served by the Tarawa Terrace and Holcomb
Boulevard water systems consisted of family housing, which included
single-and multifamily homes and housing in trailer parks. Housing
units served by the Hadnot Point water system included mainly bachelor
housing with limited family housing. The housing area served by the
Rifle Range water system included both family housing and bachelor
housing. Based on available housing data for the late 1970s and the
1980s,[Footnote 13] the estimated annual averages of the number of
people living in family housing units[Footnote 14] served by these
water systems at that time were:
* 5,814 people in units served by the Tarawa Terrace water system,
* 6,347 people in units served by the Holcomb Boulevard water system,
* 71 people in units served by the Hadnot Point water system, and:
* 14 people in units served by the Rifle Range water system.
In addition to serving housing units, all four water systems provided
water to base administrative offices. The Tarawa Terrace, Holcomb
Boulevard, and Hadnot Point water systems also served schools and other
recreational areas. Additionally, the Hadnot Point water system also
served an industrial area and the base hospital, and the Rifle Range
water system also served an area used for weapons training.
Department of the Navy Environmental Functions:
The Department of the Navy consists of the Navy and the Marine Corps;
consequently, certain Navy entities provide support functions for
Marine Corps bases, such as Camp Lejeune. Two entities provide support
for environmental issues:
* The Naval Facilities Engineering Command began providing
environmental support for bases in the 1970s. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Atlantic Division (LANTDIV) provides environmental
support for Navy and Marine Corps bases in the Atlantic and mid-
Atlantic regions of the United States.[Footnote 15] For example,
LANTDIV officials work with Camp Lejeune officials to establish
environmental cleanup priorities and cost estimates and to allocate
funding to ensure compliance with state and federal environmental
regulations.
* The Navy Environmental Health Center (NEHC) has provided
environmental and public health consultation services for Navy and
Marine Corps environmental cleanup sites since 1991. NEHC is also
designated as the technical liaison between Navy and Marine Corps
installations and ATSDR, and as a part of this responsibility, reviews
and comments on all ATSDR reports written for Navy and Marine Corps
sites prior to publication. Prior to 1991, no agency was designated to
provide public health consultation services for Navy and Marine Corps
sites.
In 1980, the Department of the Navy established the Navy Assessment and
Control of Installation Pollutants (NACIP) program to identify, assess,
and control environmental contamination from past hazardous material
storage, transfer, processing, and disposal operations. Under the NACIP
program, initial assessment studies were conducted to determine the
potential for environmental contamination at Navy and Marines Corps
bases. If, as a result of the study, contamination was suspected, a
follow-up confirmation study and corrective measures were initiated. In
1986 the Navy replaced its NACIP program with the Installation
Restoration Program. The purpose of the Installation Restoration
Program is to reduce, in a cost effective manner, the risk to human
health and the environment from past waste disposal operations and
hazardous material spills at Navy and Marine Corps bases. Cleanup is
done in partnership with EPA, state regulatory agencies, and members of
the community.
EPA and Environmental Laws and Regulations Related to Drinking Water
Contamination and Hazardous Waste Contamination at Camp Lejeune:
EPA was established in 1970 to consolidate in one agency a variety of
federal research, monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement
activities to ensure environmental protection. EPA's primary roles and
functions include developing and enforcing environmental regulations;
conducting environmental research; providing financial assistance to
states, educational institutions, and other nonprofit entities that
conduct environmental research; and furthering public environmental
education.
Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974[Footnote 16] to
protect the public's health by regulating the nation's public drinking
water supply. The Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, is the key
federal law protecting public water supplies from harmful contaminants.
For example, the act requires that all public water systems conduct
routine tests of treated water to ensure that the water is safe to
drink. Required water testing frequencies vary and range from weekly
testing for some contaminants to testing every 3 years for other
contaminants. The act also established a federal-state arrangement in
which states may be delegated primary implementation and enforcement
authority for the drinking water program. For contaminants that are
known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and that EPA
determines may have an adverse impact on health, the act requires EPA
to set a nonenforceable maximum contaminant level goal, at which no
known or anticipated adverse health effects occur and that allows an
adequate margin of safety. Once the maximum contaminant level goal is
established, EPA sets an enforceable standard for water as it leaves
the treatment plant, the maximum contaminant level. A maximum
contaminant level is the maximum permissible level of a contaminant in
water delivered to any user of a public water system. The maximum
contaminant level must be set as close to the goal as is feasible using
the best technology or other means available, taking costs into
consideration. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural
Resources and its predecessors[Footnote 17] have had primary
responsibility for implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act in
North Carolina since 1980.
In 1979, EPA promulgated final regulations applicable to certain
community water systems establishing the maximum contaminant levels for
the control of TTHMs, which are a type of VOC that are formed when
disinfectants--used to control disease-causing contaminants in drinking
water--react with naturally occurring organic matter in water. The
regulations required that water systems that served more than 10,000
people and which added a disinfectant as part of the drinking water
treatment process to begin mandatory water testing for TTHMs by
November 1982 and comply with the maximum contaminant level by November
1983. TCE and PCE were not among the contaminants included in these
regulations.
In 1979 and 1980 EPA issued nonenforceable guidance establishing
"suggested no adverse response levels" for TCE and PCE in drinking
water and in 1980 issued "suggested action guidance" for PCE in
drinking water.[Footnote 18] Suggested no adverse response levels
provided EPA's estimate of the short-and long-term exposure to TCE and
PCE in drinking water for which no adverse response would be observed
and described the known information about possible health risks for
these chemicals. Suggested action guidance recommended remedial actions
within certain time periods when concentrations of contaminants
exceeded specific levels. Suggested action guidance was issued for PCE
related to drinking water contamination from coated asbestos-cement
pipes, which were used in water distribution lines.
The initial regulation of TCE and PCE under the Safe Drinking Water Act
began in 1989 and 1992, respectively, when maximum contaminant levels
became effective for these contaminants. (See table 1 for the suggested
no adverse response levels, suggested action guidance, and maximum
contaminant level regulations for TCE and PCE.)
Table 1: EPA Guidance and Regulations for Trichloroethylene (TCE) and
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in Drinking Water:
Chemical: TCE;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested no adverse response level[A] for
various exposure periods in parts per billion (ppb) issued in 1979
(TCE) and 1980 (PCE): 1-Day[D]: 2,000;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested no adverse response level[A] for
various exposure periods in parts per billion (ppb) issued in 1979
(TCE) and 1980 (PCE): 10-Day[E]: 200;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested no adverse response level[A] for
various exposure periods in parts per billion (ppb) issued in 1979
(TCE) and 1980 (PCE): Long-term[F]: 75;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested action guidance[B] for various
exposure periods in ppb issued in 1980 (PCE): 1-Day[D]: N/A[G];
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested action guidance[B] for various
exposure periods in ppb issued in 1980 (PCE): 10-Day[E]: N/A[G];
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested action guidance[B] for various
exposure periods in ppb issued in 1980 (PCE): Long-term[F]: N/A[G];
Enforceable regulation: Maximum contaminant level in milligrams per
liter (mg/l) and ppb[C] effective in 1989 (TCE) and 1992 (PCE): 0.005
mg/l or 5 ppb.
Chemical: PCE;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested no adverse response level[A] for
various exposure periods in parts per billion (ppb) issued in 1979
(TCE) and 1980 (PCE): 1-Day[D]: 2,300;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested no adverse response level[A] for
various exposure periods in parts per billion (ppb) issued in 1979
(TCE) and 1980 (PCE): 10-Day[E]: 175;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested no adverse response level[A] for
various exposure periods in parts per billion (ppb) issued in 1979
(TCE) and 1980 (PCE): Long-term[F]: 20;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested action guidance[B] for various
exposure periods in ppb issued in 1980 (PCE): 1-Day[D]: 2,300;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested action guidance[B] for various
exposure periods in ppb issued in 1980 (PCE): 10-Day[E]: 180;
Nonenforceable guidance: Suggested action guidance[B] for various
exposure periods in ppb issued in 1980 (PCE): Long-term[F]: 40;
Enforceable regulation: Maximum contaminant level in milligrams per
liter (mg/l) and ppb[C] effective in 1989 (TCE) and 1992 (PCE): 0.005
mg/l or 5 ppb.
Source: GAO analysis of EPA data.
[A] Suggested no adverse response levels are EPA-issued nonenforceable
guidance for community water systems regarding TCE and PCE in drinking
water.
[B] Suggested action guidance is EPA-issued nonenforceable guidance
suggesting that remedial action be taken when PCE exceeded specific
levels.
[C] These are the maximum permissible levels of a contaminant in water
that is delivered to a public water system. Maximum contaminant levels
are not specific to period of exposure. The maximum contaminant level
for TCE became effective in 1989. See 52. Fed. Reg. 25716 (July 8,
1987). The maximum contaminant level for PCE became effective in 1992.
See 52. Fed. Reg. 3593 (January 30, 1991). The maximum contaminant
levels were issued in milligrams per liter. EPA also reports these
contaminant levels in the equivalent ppb.
[D] One-day suggested no adverse response levels and suggested action
guidance were the maximum levels for one 24-hour period of exposure.
[E] Ten-day suggested no adverse response levels and suggested action
guidance were the maximum levels each day for 10 days of exposure.
[F] Long-term suggested no adverse response levels and suggested action
guidance were the maximum levels each day for long-term exposure. Long-
term exposure was based on a 70-year exposure.
[G] There was no suggested action guidance for TCE.
[End of table]
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act (CERCLA) of 1980[Footnote 19] established what is known as the
Superfund program to clean up highly contaminated waste sites and
address the threats that these sites pose to human health and the
environment, and assigned responsibility to EPA for administering the
program.[Footnote 20] CERCLA was amended by the Superfund Amendments
and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986.[Footnote 21] Among other
things, SARA requires that federal agencies, including DOD, that own or
operate facilities on EPA's CERCLA list of seriously contaminated
sites, known as the National Priorities List, enter into an interagency
agreement with EPA.[Footnote 22] The agreement is to specify what
cleanup activities, if any, are required, and to set priorities for
carrying out those activities.[Footnote 23] SARA also established the
Defense Environmental Restoration Program, through which DOD conducts
environmental cleanup activities at military installations.[Footnote
24] Under the environmental restoration program, DOD's activities
addressing hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants are
required to be carried out consistent with the provisions of CERCLA
governing environmental cleanups at federal facilities.[Footnote 25]
Based on environmental contamination at various areas on the base, Camp
Lejeune was designated as a National Priorities List site in 1989. EPA,
the Department of the Navy, and the state of North Carolina entered
into a Federal Facilities Agreement concerning cleanup of Camp Lejeune
with an effective date of March 1, 1991.
ATSDR's Assessment of the Adverse Health Effects of Hazardous
Substances at DOD Superfund Sites:
ATSDR was created by CERCLA and established within the Public Health
Service of HHS in April 1983 to carry out Superfund's health-related
activities. These activities include conducting health studies,
laboratory projects, and chemical testing to determine relationships
between exposure to toxic substances and illness. In 1986, SARA
expanded ATSDR's responsibilities to include, among other things,
conducting public health assessments, toxicological databases,
information dissemination, and medical education. SARA requires that
ATSDR conduct a public health assessment at each site proposed for or
on the National Priorities List, and that ATSDR conduct additional
follow-up health studies if needed. Potentially responsible parties,
including federal agencies, are liable for the costs of any health
assessment or health effects study carried out by ATSDR.[Footnote 26]
SARA requires that ATSDR and DOD enter into a memorandum of
understanding to set forth the authorities, responsibilities, and
procedures between DOD and ATSDR for conducting public health
activities at DOD Superfund sites.[Footnote 27] Based on the memorandum
of understanding signed between ATSDR and DOD, ATSDR is required to
submit an annual plan of work to DOD, in which it must describe the
public health activities it plans to conduct at DOD sites in the
following fiscal year, as well as the amount of funding required to
conduct these activities. After the annual plan of work has been
submitted, DOD has 45 days to respond and negotiate the scope of work
to be conducted by ATSDR. The memorandum of understanding states that
DOD must seek sufficient funding through the DOD budgetary process to
carry out the work agreed upon.
Possible Adverse Health Effects of TCE and PCE:
According to ATSDR's Toxicological Profile, inhaling small amounts of
TCE may cause headaches, lung irritation, poor coordination, and
difficulty concentrating, and inhaling or drinking liquids containing
high levels of TCE may cause nervous system effects, liver and lung
damage, abnormal heartbeat, coma, or possibly death.[Footnote 28] ATSDR
also notes that some animal studies suggest that high levels of TCE may
cause liver, kidney, or lung cancer, and some studies of people exposed
over long periods to high levels of TCE in drinking water or workplace
air have shown an increased risk of cancer. ATSDR's Toxicological
Profile notes that the National Toxicology Program has determined that
TCE is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen and the
International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that TCE is
probably carcinogenic to humans. Unlike TCE, the health effects of
inhaling or drinking liquids containing low levels of PCE are unknown,
according to ATSDR. However, ATSDR reports that exposure to very high
concentrations of PCE may cause dizziness, headaches, sleepiness,
confusion, nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconsciousness,
or death.[Footnote 29] HHS has determined that PCE may reasonably be
anticipated to be a carcinogen.
Efforts to Identify and Address Past Drinking Water Contamination at
Camp Lejeune Began in the 1980s and Continue with Long-Term Cleanup and
Monitoring:
Efforts to identify and address past drinking water contamination at
Camp Lejeune began in the 1980s, when the Navy initiated water testing
at Camp Lejeune. In 1980, one water test identified the presence of
VOCs and a separate test indicated contamination by unidentified
chemicals. In 1982 and 1983, water monitoring for TTHMs by a laboratory
contracted by Camp Lejeune led to the identification of TCE and PCE as
the contaminants in two water systems at Camp Lejeune. Sampling results
indicated that the levels of TCE and PCE varied. Former Camp Lejeune
environmental officials said they did not take additional steps to
address the contamination after TCE and PCE were identified. The former
officials recalled that they did not take additional steps because at
that time they had little knowledge of TCE and PCE, there were no
regulations establishing enforceable limits for these chemicals in
drinking water, and variations in water testing results raised
questions about the tests' validity. In 1984 and 1985, NACIP, a Navy
environmental program, identified VOCs, including TCE and PCE, in 12 of
the wells serving the Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace water systems.
Camp Lejeune officials removed 10 wells from service in 1984 and 1985.
Additionally, information about the contamination was provided to
residents. Upon investigating the contamination, DOD and North Carolina
officials concluded that both on-and off-base sources were likely to
have caused the contamination in the Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace
water systems. Since 1989, federal, state, and Camp Lejeune officials
have partnered to take actions to clean up the sources of contamination
and to monitor and protect the base's drinking water.
Navy Water Testing Beginning in 1980 Identified VOCs in Camp Lejeune
Water Systems:
The presence of VOCs in Camp Lejeune water systems was first detected
in October 1980. On October 1, 1980, samples of water were collected
from all eight water systems at Camp Lejeune by an official from
LANTDIV, a Navy entity which provided environmental support to Camp
Lejeune. The water samples were combined into a single sample, and a
"priority pollutant scan" was conducted in order to detect possible
contaminants in the water systems. The results of this analysis,
conducted by a Navy-contracted private laboratory and sent to LANTDIV,
identified 11 VOCs, including TCE, at their detection limits, that is,
the lowest level at which the chemicals could be reliably identified by
the instruments being used.[Footnote 30] LANTDIV officials we
interviewed said they do not remember why this testing was conducted. A
memorandum written by a Camp Lejeune environmental official noted that
LANTDIV initiated the testing because North Carolina had assumed
responsibility in March 1980 for oversight of the Safe Drinking Water
Act and therefore would have the right to sample and test the drinking
water at Camp Lejeune for any contaminants regulated under the
act.[Footnote 31] The memorandum stated that LANTDIV officials were
concerned that the state's testing might discover problems that the
Navy had not previously identified. The Camp Lejeune memorandum
characterized the 1980 analysis as indicating "no problems" from the
pollutants when the samples from eight water systems were tested as one
combined sample, but also noted that this might not have been true if
the samples had been analyzed individually. Current and former LANTDIV
officials told us that they did not recall any actions taken as a
result of this analysis.
Separately, in 1980 the Navy began monitoring programs for TTHMs at
various Navy and Marine Corps bases, including Camp Lejeune, in
preparation for meeting a future EPA drinking water
regulation.[Footnote 32] LANTDIV arranged for an Army laboratory to
begin testing the treated water from two Camp Lejeune water systems,
Hadnot Point and New River, in October 1980. At that time, these two
water systems were the only ones that served more than 10,000 people
and therefore would be required to meet the future TTHM regulation.
From October 1980 to September 1981, eight samples were collected from
the Hadnot Point water system and analyzed for TTHMs. Results from four
of the eight samples indicated the presence of unidentified chemicals
that were interfering with the TTHM analyses.[Footnote 33] Reports for
each of the four analyses contained an Army laboratory official's
handwritten notes about the unidentified chemicals: two of the notes
classified the water as "highly contaminated" and notes for the other
two analyses recommended analyzing the water for organic compounds.
The exact date when LANTDIV officials began receiving results from TTHM
testing is not known, and LANTDIV officials told us that they had no
recollection of how or when the results were communicated from the Army
laboratory. Available Marine Corps documents indicate that Camp Lejeune
environmental officials[Footnote 34] learned in July 1981 that LANTDIV
had been receiving the results of TTHM testing and was holding the
results until all planned testing was complete. Subsequently, Camp
Lejeune environmental officials requested copies of the TTHM results
that LANTDIV had received to date, and LANTDIV provided these results
in August 1981. The next documented correspondence from LANTDIV to Camp
Lejeune regarding TTHM monitoring occurred in a February 1982
memorandum in which LANTDIV recommended that TTHM monitoring be
expanded to all of Camp Lejeune's water systems and noted that Camp
Lejeune should contract with a North Carolina state-certified
laboratory for the testing.
In early 1981, additional water testing unrelated to the TTHM
monitoring began at the Rifle Range area within Camp Lejeune for
various contaminants, including TCE and PCE. A former Camp Lejeune
official recalled that the testing was initiated because of concerns
about chemicals that had been buried at Rifle Range. In March, April,
and May 1981, water samples were collected from areas surrounding the
chemical dump, including a nearby creek; treated water from the Rifle
Range water system; and untreated water from the individual wells
serving the water system. These water samples were sent to a Navy-
contracted private laboratory for analysis, and the results were sent
to a LANTDIV official in April and May 1981. The results for the
samples collected from the areas surrounding the chemical dump
identified VOCs, including TCE and PCE. The results for the samples
collected from the water system's treated water and for the samples
from the untreated water from the individual wells also identified
VOCs. In July 1981, LANTDIV communicated the results to Camp Lejeune
officials and noted that one of the VOCs detected was a trihalomethane
and arrangements had been made to add the Rifle Range water system to
the base TTHM testing. LANTDIV also recommended that no further action
be taken until additional data became available from TTHM monitoring or
the planned NACIP program to identify, assess, and control
environmental contamination.
Current and former LANTDIV officials recalled that their agency played
a limited role in providing information or guidance regarding
environmental issues at Camp Lejeune, and that this assistance
generally would have been at the request of Camp Lejeune officials.
However, former Camp Lejeune environmental officials recalled that at
that time they had little experience in water quality issues and relied
on LANTDIV to serve as their environmental experts. Documents from 1981
indicate that LANTDIV officials continuously communicated information
about the Rifle Range area to Camp Lejeune environmental officials,
including providing sampling results, discussing the implications of
these results, providing copies of related regulations and standards,
and making recommendations for additional action. (See app. II for a
more detailed description of selected events related to drinking water
contamination at Camp Lejeune from 1980 through 1981.)
Further Tests Identified TCE and PCE in Two Camp Lejeune Water Systems
in 1982 and 1983; Camp Lejeune Officials Do Not Recall Taking Action to
Address the Contamination at That Time:
Following LANTDIV's recommendation to expand TTHM monitoring to all
base water systems, Camp Lejeune officials contracted with a private
state-certified laboratory to test samples of treated water from all
eight of their water systems. According to an August 1982 memorandum,
in May 1982 a Camp Lejeune official was informed during a telephone
conversation with a private laboratory official that organic cleaning
solvents, including TCE, were present in the water samples for TTHM
monitoring from the Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace water systems. In
July 1982, additional water samples from the two systems were collected
in an effort to investigate the presence of these chemicals. In August
1982 the contracted laboratory sent a letter to base officials
informing them that TCE and PCE were identified from the May and July
samples as the contaminants. According to the letter, the testing
determined that the Hadnot Point water system was contaminated with
both TCE and PCE and the Tarawa Terrace water system was contaminated
with PCE. The letter also noted that TCE and PCE "appeared to be at
high levels" and were "more important from a health standpoint" than
the TTHM monitoring. Sampling results indicated that the levels of TCE
and PCE varied. The letter noted that one sample taken in May 1982 from
the Hadnot Point water system contained TCE at 1,400 parts per billion
and two samples taken in July 1982 contained TCE at 19 and 21 parts per
billion. Four samples taken in May 1982 and July 1982 from the Tarawa
Terrace water system contained levels of PCE that ranged from 76 to 104
parts per billion. (See table 2 for the May and July 1982 sampling
results.)
Table 2: Sampling Results from Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace Water
Systems for May 1982 and July 1982:
May samples[E].
Housing area: Hadnot Point;
Samples[B]: 1;
Concentrations of chemicals in parts per billion[A]: TCE[C]: 1,400;
Concentrations of chemicals in parts per billion[A]: PCE[D]: 15.
Housing area: Tarawa Terrace;
Samples[B]: 2;
Concentrations of chemicals in parts per billion[A]: TCE[C]: --[F];
Concentrations of chemicals in parts per billion[A]: PCE[D]: 80.
July samples.
Housing area: Hadnot Point;
Samples[B]: 3;
Concentrations of chemicals in parts per billion[A]: TCE[C]: 19;
Concentrations of chemicals in parts per billion[A]: PCE[D]:
