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Camp Lejeune water contamination claims total about 5,000 so far, U.S. Navy says
(Reuters) - About 5,000 claims over contaminated water at North Carolina Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune have been filed in the first month since new legislation removed roadblocks for the cases, according to the U.S. Navy, setting up the potential for one of the largest mass litigations in U.S. history.

Camp Lejeune's toxic water victims get chance to fight back
McNamara heard about Camp Lejeune's water contaminants by chance when he followed his doctor who relocated to Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center. A paperwork clerk mentioned the toxins and suggested he contact his local VA representative.

Camp Lejeune products share personal impacts of toxic water, why signing of PACT Act is important
“Within 90 days I went from being a father of four, happily married man to ‘oh, you have breast cancer and it’s pretty serious’ to ‘oh, by the way, you were poisoned at your birthplace, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. And, they knew about it and didn’t bother to tell you or your family,’” he said.

BIG STORY: New law to help S.C.’s Lejeune contamination victims
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said before walking into the bill-signing ceremony. “Our veterans, our Marines, our families – our government forgot them. Our government actually forgot them. We hope this will change things and make it better.”

‘They’ve been killing’ our Marines: Inside the long push to aid Camp Lejeune victims
A smaller group of veterans and family members in the crowded East Room, whose lives were upended by contaminated drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, owed their presence to a lower-profile advocate on their behalf, South Carolina attorney Ed Bell.

'We finally got our justice': PACT Act helps Camp Lejeune families exposed to toxic water
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is also included in the PACT Act. It allows individuals who resided, worked, or were otherwise exposed (including in utero) at Camp Lejeune to seek compensation. It’s something those impacted have spent decades fighting for.

'You're the backbone': Biden signs 'Burn Pits' assistance for Veterans
“Veterans who have been sickened to the point of being unable to work, unable to take care of their families, won’t have to spend that time fighting the government to get the healthcare they earned,” said Jeremy Butler, head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “This is monumental.”

Biden signs veterans benefits bill that includes Cartwright legislation
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, speaks Wednesday with Timothy Borland, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars. They spoke at the White House before President Joe Biden signed the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 into law. The law aims to help veterans who suffer from exposure to dangerous toxins during their military deployments. Provisions of Cartwright’s Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 were included in the bill.

Remarks by President Biden at Signing of S. 3373, “The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022”
Less than 1 percent of you — less than 1 percent of you risk everything to defend 99 percent of the population — 1 percent risk 99 percent. We owe you. You’re the backbone. You’re the steel. You’re the sinew. You’re the very fiber that makes this country what it is. And that’s not hyperbole, that’s a fact.

PACT Act brings long-awaited justice for Camp Lejeune victims
Williams-Pride is now pursuing legal action over the pain she and other parents, who never got to the see their children grow up, endure.
“It’s been 36 years, my child would have been 36 years old this year, and I didn’t think I would see them acknowledge anything. They finally acknowledged they did something wrong,” Williams-Pride said.

Bell Legal Group announces founder J. Edward Bell III to attend White House signing ceremony
For more than a decade, Bell Legal Group, led by Ed Bell, worked with Camp Lejeune victims, including Master Sergeant J.M. Ensminger, USMC, Ret., the leading advocate for the cause, and Michael Partain, co-founder of The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten, as well as elected officials including Congressman Cartwright (D-PA), Congressman Murphy (R-NC), Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Peters (D-MI) to bring this legislation into law. Once signed by President Biden, it provides for the first time the opportunity for victims to seek justice for the unlawful exposure to contaminated water while on the military base.

Veterans benefits to be expanded as PACT Act heads to President Biden's desk
Veterans benefits to be expanded as PACT Act heads to President Biden's desk

Camp Lejeune’s water poisoned lives. Decades of fighting finally caused change
The PACT Act wouldn’t undo that damage, but it could help salve lingering effects. Ensminger looked on last week as senators debated the bill, which would provide health care benefits for members of the military exposed to toxins while serving. It would also permit Marines and their families who had been exposed to Camp Lejeune’s water to sue the federal government.

Bell Legal Group files initial lawsuits on behalf of Camp Lejeune victims against United States government for toxic water exposure on military base
J. Edward Bell III, founder and senior partner of Bell Legal Group and president of Charleston School of Law, personally championed the passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. For more than a decade, Bell worked with Camp Lejeune victims, including Master Sergeant J.M. Ensminger, USMC, Ret., the leading advocate for the cause, and Michael Partain, co-founder of the Few, the Proud the Forgotten, and elected officials to bring this legislation into law. It is the first time victims have the opportunity to seek justice for the unlawful exposure to contaminated water while on the military base.

Biden signs veterans toxic exposure bill into law
“This is the most significant law our nation has ever passed to help millions of veterans who are exposed to toxic substances during the military services,” Biden said in remarks from the East Room.

Ed Bell Awarded Order of the Palmetto
On Monday, June 7th, Georgetown Attorney, Ed Bell, received the state’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto from Governor Henry McMaster in a Statehouse ceremony.