Nearly 100,000 claims have been submitted to the Navy regarding potential exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina. However, a recent investigation by CBS News has revealed that the Navy has only begun processing less than 20% of these claims, and no settlements have been paid yet. Mike Partain, a survivor of male breast cancer who was born at Camp Lejeune, expressed his disappointment, stating that this is not what was intended when the bill was passed. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which was signed into law a year ago, aimed to streamline the compensation process for victims of toxic water exposure. The U.S. government acknowledges that nearly 1 million veterans and civilians were potentially exposed to dangerous chemicals in the drinking water at the base from 1953 to 1987. Activists and lawmakers credit CBS News’ investigative series “Decades of Exposure” for the passing of this act. Partain’s own suffering, along with a cluster of male breast cancer cases, can be traced back to the day he was born at Camp Lejeune. He expressed the haunting realization that the powdered baby formula he was fed as an infant was made with contaminated water provided by the Marine Corps. Partain’s mother also recalls him suffering from unexplained cramps after feeding. Partain was diagnosed with male breast cancer at the age of 39, and it has had a devastating impact on his life and family. A government study has indicated a potential link between exposure to chemicals at Camp Lejeune and male breast cancer. Partain and about 1,100 other potential victims have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government in North Carolina after receiving no settlement from the Navy. However, the government has responded with various defenses, including one that implies the victims assumed the risks themselves. Environmental advocate Erin Brockovich, who has been assisting the Camp Lejeune families, criticized this tactic as a common delay strategy. CBS News reached out to the Justice Department and Navy for interviews, but both declined. The Justice Department provided a statement highlighting their commitment to resolving the claims efficiently, while the Navy emphasized their efforts to process the claims and their pursuit of an early-resolution framework. Partain firmly denied that the claims and lawsuits are motivated by money, stating that he would never want anyone to go through what he has experienced. The families affected by the situation at Camp Lejeune continue to seek justice, with federal judges in North Carolina selecting a panel of lawyers for what could become one of the largest mass litigations in U.S. history.
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