Health survey headed to Tampa Bay veterans of Camp Lejeune

Health survey headed to Tampa Bay veterans of Camp Lejeune

By William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Sep 06, 2011 07:07 PM

Times Staff Writer

Tampa Bay residents who lived at Camp Lejeune, N.C., between 1972 and 1986 will receive a health survey by Friday as scientists research whether the base's polluted water harmed their health.

About 250,000 former residents of the Marine Corps base in every U.S. state are getting the mailing from the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, ATSDR officials say.

The survey is one of the largest of its type ever conducted and includes about 14,000 Floridians — 2,816 of those from the Tampa Bay area. ATSDR says the work may help direct future research.

But the survey, which must be returned to ATSDR by Christmas, comes amid controversy as critics accuse the Marine Corps and its Navy overseers of trying to quash participation. The Corps denies the charge.

"The Marine Corps fully supports ATSDR's work on the health survey and strongly encourages participation," said Capt. Kendra Hardesty, a Corps spokeswoman. "The more surveys that are filled out and returned, the more likely the results will be useful."
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