A former Marine has filed suit against the U.S. government, alleging that tainted water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina caused him to develop a rare cancer.
Joel Shriberg, who served as a clerk at the Marine base from 1957 to 1959, was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer in 2004. He is seeking $16 million, saying his cancer was caused by a well-known contamination in the water at the camp.
The lawsuit claims that for 30 years, Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune and their families drank water that was contaminated with over 70 chemicals present at a rate of 240 to 3,400 times that permitted by federal safety standards.
Shriberg’s is only one of 850 claims totaling over $4 billion which have been filed by former Camp Lejeune residents regarding alleged water contamination.