A Trust Betrayed
Page 28
8. Press release, “Jeffords Seeks Expansion of Federal Study and Notification to Affected Marines About Camp Lejeune Drinking Water Contamination,” February 10, 2004; Dail, “Pentagon Delaying Notices.”
9. Manuel Roig-Franzia and Catharine Skipp, “Panel in Camp Lejeune Water Probe Criticized,” Washington Post, March 12, 2004; United States Marine Corps, Division of Public Affairs, “Press Release: Commandant Appoints Independent Panel to Review Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Events,” February 20, 2004, https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater/Site/Articles/pr_2–20–04.html.
10. Roig-Franzia and Skipp, “Panel in Camp Lejeune Water Probe.”
11. Testimony of Jerry Ensminger, 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.
12. Ibid.
13. Richard Frandsen and Jerry Ensminger telephone interviews with author, May 2013.
14. Quotations through the end of this section are from Joint Hearing Before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection and Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, “Current Environmental Issues Affecting the Readiness of the Department of Defense,” April 21, 2004, transcript at US Government Printing Office, Federal Digital System, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-108hhrg93306/html/CHRG-108hhrg93306.htm; Richard Frandsen and Jerry Ensminger, telephone interviews with author, May 2013; Thomas Dail, “Military Dealt a Setback in Environmental Ruling by a House Committee,” Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News, April 30, 2004.
15. Eric Steinkopff, “Second Sewer Leak Elusive,” Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News, May 5, 2004.
16. Quotations from the June 24, 2004, hearing are from Eric Steinkopff, “Ex-Base Residents Want Wider Water Probe,” Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News, June 25, 2004, online at US Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, www.judiciary.senate.gov/judiciarydocs/CLHDW%20CDR%20Docs/Docs%20(PDFs)/1199–10257/9400_413%20AA%20USMC%20250604.pdf.
17. Packard’s meeting with Currey is recounted in Richard Currey, “Troubled Waters: The Toxic Legacy of Camp Lejeune’s Contaminated Water Supply,” The Veteran, August/September 2004.
18. All quotations from the panel’s report are from “Drinking Water Fact-Finding Panel for Camp Lejeune, Report to the Commandant,” US Marine Corps, October 6, 2004.
19. Manuel Roig-Franzia, “Water Probe Backs Marine Corps Defense,” Washington Post, October 7, 2004.
20. Memorandum from Henry Falk, director, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to Richard Frandsen, senior counsel, House Energy and Commerce Committee, September 30, 2004.
21. All quotations from this meeting are from Meeting Transcript, Expert Panel Meeting, February 17–18, 2005; Chris Mazzolini, “Experts Share Ideas for Bad-Water Study,” Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News, February 18, 2005.
22. Report of the Camp Lejeune Scientific Advisory Panel, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia, February 17–18, 2005.
23. Martha Waggoner, “Panel: Lejeune Should Study Effects of Tainted Water on Thousands,” Associated Press, July 1, 2005.
24. Chris Mazzolini, “Panel Eyeing Base Water Gets Plea to Expand Study,” Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News, February 2, 2006.
25. Chris Mazzolini, “Senate OKs Base Water Investigation,” Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News, June 24, 2006.
26. Ibid.
27. Both news releases are quoted in ibid.
28. Ibid.
11: OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE?
1. The quotations in this chapter are from Transcript, 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, US Government Printing Office, Federal Digital System, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg37793/html/CHRG-110hhrg37793.htm.
12: “FLORIDA MAN HAS BREAST CANCER”
1. This chapter is based on Mike Partain, telephone interviews with author, 2012 and 2013; Robin Williams Adams, “Florida Man Has Breast Cancer,” Lakeland Ledger, September 16, 2007, www.theledger.com/article/20070916/NEWS/709160466.
2. The stories by William R. Levesque eventually included “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; “Male Breast Cancer and Camp Lejeune: Pollution or Coincidence?” St. Petersburg Times, June 27, 2009, www.tampabay.com/news/military/veterans/male-breast-cancer-and-camp-lejeune-pollution-or-coincidence/1013675; and “Hike in Camp Lejeune Male Breast Cancer Cases Expected, St. Petersburg Times, November 25, 2011, www.tampabay.com/news/military/veterans/hike-in-camp-lejeune-male-breast-cancer-cases-expected/1203436, among others. The St. Petersburg Times changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times in January 2012.
13: A STONE WALL CRUMBLES
1. Jo-Ann Moriarty and George Graham, “Sen. Kerry Pushes for Chemical Probe,” Springfield (Mass.) Republican, August 1, 2007, www.masslive.com/chicopeeholyoke/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1185955198167970.xml&coll=1.
2. Statement on the floor of the US Senate, Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), July 17, 2007.
3. “Feds Gets Earful from Camp Lejeune Residents,” WITN, Greenville, North Carolina, August 8, 2007, www.witn.com/home/headlines/9041482.html.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. E-mail from Jerry Ensminger to Jennifer Walsh, media officer, National Academies of Sciences, November 30, 2007.
7. Gareth McGrath, “We Are Not Just Numbers in a Study,” Wilmington (N.C.) Star News, November 18, 2007; Alyssa Litoff and Katie Hinman, “Sick Families of N.C. Military Base Water Contamination May Finally Get Help, 30 Years Later,” ABC News Nightline, June 28, 2012.
8. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, presentation to Camp Lejeune Community Assistance Panel, August 2007; Sarah Vos, “Chemical Linked to Parkinson’s Disease,” Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, January 9, 2008.
9. Statement of John B. Stephenson, director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office, Before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, “New Assessment Process Further Limits the Credibility and Timeliness of EPA’s Assessments of Toxic Chemicals,” September 18, 2008, transcript at US Government Printing Office, Federal Digital System, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08–1168T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08–1168T.htm.
10. Testimony of Lynn R. Goldman, professor of environmental health sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Hearing Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, April 28, 2008, www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=61c327e8–77a4–4568-b4a3–9d34bc1d17ef.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Testimony of Jerry Ensminger, Hearing Before the House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, June 12, 2008.
14. Alison Young, “Exodus, Morale Shake CDC,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 10, 2006.
15. Rita Beamish, “Study on Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Continues with Navy Money,” Associated Press, May 30, 2008; Jerry Ensminger, e-mail to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and others, May 29, 2008.
16. Frank Bove and Perri Zeitz Ruckart, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, “An Assessment of the Feasibility of Conducting Future Epidemiological Studies at USMC Base Camp Lejeune,” June 23, 2008.
17. Ibid.
18. Presentation by Dr. Howard Frumkin, director, National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), “Understanding the National Conversation Purpose and Process,” n.d., copy attached to Jerry Ensminger, e-mail, April 8, 2009.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.
22. Letter from Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), sender’s name redacted, to Rick Raines at Camp Lejeune, June 6, 1997.
23. Memorandum by Katherine Landman, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division, to David McConaughy, Navy Environmental Health Center, July 21, 1997.
24. Ibid.
25. Letter from Robert C. Williams, director, Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to commanding general and brigadier general, Camp Lejeune, August 4, 1997.
26. Christopher Portier, former director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, telephone interview with author, May 2013.
27. Ibid.
28. E-mails from Jerry Ensminger and Mike Partain to Thomas Sinks, deputy director, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, May 7, 2009.
29. Rita Beamish, “False Comfort: US Pulls Report That Minimized Cancer Risk from Toxic Water at Marine Base,” Associated Press, June 20, 2009.
30. The quotations from the National Research Council’s study through the end of this section are from Committee on Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune, National Research Council, “Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune: Assessing Potential Health Effects,” June 2009.
31. National Research Council, “Scientific Evidence of Health Problems from Past Contamination of Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune Is Limited and Unlikely to Be Resolved with Further Study,” press release, June 13, 2009.
32. Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC), press release, June 16, 2009.
33. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), press release, June 17, 2009.
34. Statement in response to National Research Council report, signed by Ann Aschengrau, Richard Clapp, and David Ozonoff of the Boston University School of Public Health; Daniel Wartenberg of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Sandra Steingraber of Ithaca College, June 17, 2009.
35. William R. Levesque, “Critics Say Marine Corps Contract on Camp Lejeune Is Conflict of Interest,” St. Petersburg Times, November 6, 2009, www.tampabay.com/news/military/critics-say-marine-corps-contract-on-camp-lejeune-is-conflict-of-interest/1050032.
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: VICTIMS UNITE
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: THE WAY TO THE OVAL OFFICE
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, Febr
uary 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.