Camp Lejeune ignored water warnings

Report: Lejeune ignored water warnings
Published: April 18, 2010 at 9:37 PM


WASHINGTON, April 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marine Corps denies officials disregarded warnings about contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, N.C., for years.

Thousands of Marines and their families drank, cooked and bathed in water laced with dangerous chemicals, The (Charlotte, N.C.) Observer said Sunday in an exclusive report. Citing documents, the newspaper said when outside contractors raised concerns base officials ignored their warnings or ordered more tests.

The most contaminated wells shut down in 1984, more than four years after the first of repeated warnings, the newspaper said.

"The kind part of me wants to say (the Marines) took a while to figure it out," said Mike Hargett, a contractor who had raised questions about the water in 1982 and 1983. "The unkind part says somebody was sloppy and negligent."
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Lejeune ignored water warnings