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thedrifter
07-10-07, 07:50 PM
Is radioactive waste buried at Lejeune?
EPA investigates whether material was moved to South Carolina disposal site
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jul 10, 2007 19:40:41 EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Environmental Protection Agency has started an investigation into whether cancer-causing radioactive material is still buried near a rifle range at Camp Lejeune, the Marine Corps’ primary base on the Atlantic Ocean.

A Navy document dated May 22, 1981, said the material included 160 pounds of soil and two animal carcasses laced with strontium-90, an isotope that causes cancer of the bone and soft tissue and leukemia.

“We are looking into this information to determine if we need to sample and where,” said Dawn Harris-Young, a spokeswoman for the EPA’s regional office in Atlanta. “It’s really early.”

The document said the dirt, carcasses and 518 “beta buttons” containing strontium-90 were cleaned up at a research lab near the main part of the base and buried in a remote area. The document also said the buried material was later recovered, “safely stored” and was awaiting shipment to an approved disposal site in South Carolina.

But Jerry Ensminger, a respected former Marine master sergeant who found the 1981 document while researching the base’s history of contaminated water, said he has been unable to find further documentation that the material was shipped off-base. While hunting on the base near the rifle range in 1986, he said, he saw a sign warning of hazardous waste.

“I guarantee you the waste material from that lab is sitting over there” at the range, Ensminger said.

Base spokesman 2nd Lt. Craig Thomas said because of record-keeping practices in the early 1980s, the Corps can’t find proof that the material was shipped to South Carolina. He said the Corps informed the EPA about the past contamination while discussing the possible construction of a building nearby, adding that recent testing found “no harmful materials” at the site.

Ensminger said he came across the Navy document, as well as others referring to “radiation pools,” while seeking information on chemical contamination of water wells at the base. He said he also found a water testing report from 1984 that showed radioactivity levels of more than twice the allowed amounts.

Over the course of three decades, tens of thousands of Marines based at Camp Lejeune and their families drank and bathed in water contaminated with toxins as much as 40 times over today’s safety standard. The Corps shut off the wells containing industrial solvents in the mid-1980s, and the base’s water now meets federal standards.

At least 850 former residents of the base have filed administrative claims, seeking nearly $4 billion, for exposure to the tainted water.

Ensminger, 55, served in the Marine Corps for 24 1/2 years, living for part of that time at Camp Lejeune. His 9-year-old daughter, Janey, died from cancer in 1985.

Today, Ensminger is a member of the Restoration Advisory Board, a panel of military and civilian representatives formed in 1996 to discuss the water contamination issues. He said he planned to bring up the radioactivity report at a quarterly board meeting scheduled for tonight.

“Mr. Ensminger — who has unfortunately suffered a direct family loss from earlier contamination at Camp Lejeune and who I’ve found to be more accurate than anyone describing events at Camp Lejeune — has raised serious concerns about radiological testing and contamination,” said Joe McLaughlin, a retired Army major and member of the Onslow County Board of Commissioners.

“There was evidence of contamination at some point. What is it now? It’s all the more pertinent because we’ve had this problem before at Camp Lejeune with chemical contamination.”

Ellie

thedrifter
07-11-07, 06:49 AM
EPA investigating waste at Camp Lejeune

By ESTES THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Jul 10, 11:28 PM ET

The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating whether cancer-causing radioactive material was buried in the 1980s near a rifle range at Camp Lejeune, the Marine Corps' primary base on the Atlantic Ocean.

A recently recovered Navy document dated 1981 said the material included 160 pounds of soil and two animal carcasses laced with strontium-90, an isotope that causes cancer and leukemia.

"We are looking into this information to determine if we need to sample and where," said Dawn Harris-Young, a spokeswoman for the EPA's regional office in Atlanta. "It's really early."

The document said the dirt, carcasses and other materials containing strontium-90 originated at a naval research lab near the base and were buried in a remote area.

According to the paperwork, the waste was later recovered, "safely stored" and was awaiting shipment to an approved disposal site in South Carolina.

But base spokesman 2nd Lt. Craig Thomas said that because of record keeping practices in the early 1980s, the Marine Corps can't find any proof the material was shipped to South Carolina.

The Marines informed the EPA of the past contamination while discussing the possible construction of a building nearby, Thomas said, adding that recent testing found there are "no harmful materials" at the site.

"I guarantee you the waste material from that lab is sitting over there" at the range, said Jerry Ensminger, a former Marine master sergeant who found the 1981 document while researching the base's history of contaminated water. He also recalled seeing a sign warning of hazardous waste while hunting near the rifle range in 1986.

Ensminger came across the Navy document, as well as others referring to "radiation pools," while seeking information on chemical contamination of water wells at the base. He said he also found a water-testing report from 1984 that showed radioactivity levels of more than twice the allowed amounts.

Over three decades, tens of thousands of Marines at Camp Lejeune and their families drank and bathed in water contaminated with as many as 40 times more toxins than permitted by safety standards. The wells had been contaminated with industrial solvents and were shut off in the mid-1980s. The base's water now meets federal standards.

At least 850 former residents of the base have filed claims against the military, seeking nearly $4 billion, for exposure to the tainted water.

Ensminger, 55, served in the Marine Corps for 24 1/2 years, living for part of that time at Camp Lejeune. His 9-year-old daughter, Janey, died of cancer in 1985.

Today, he is a member of the Restoration Advisory Board, a panel of military and civilian representatives formed in 1996 to discuss the water contamination issues. He brought up the radioactivity report at a quarterly board meeting Tuesday night.

At the meeting, Robert Lowder, Camp Lejeune's installation restoration program manager, said base officials have known about the 1981 document since 2004.

"It's a valid concern," Lowder said, according to The Daily News of Jacksonville. "But we have to find supporting documentation and do more comprehensive sampling."

Local officials have also said they will listen to Ensminger's concerns.

___

On the Net:

Camp Lejeune: www.lejeune.usmc.mil

EPA: www.epa.gov/

Ellie

thedrifter
07-11-07, 06:53 AM
Plenty of unknowns exist about handling of harmful materials

CHRISSY VICK
July 11, 2007 - 12:00AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF

A former radioactive dumping site aboard Camp Lejeune is being tested by military, state and Environmental Protection Agency officials for radioactive material before new 9th Marine Regiment facilities are built there.

The site, located off Parachute Tower Road near the skeet range, is being assessed by members of the Restoration Advisory Board, a military and civilian panel that assesses and cleans up potentially contaminated sites aboard the base.

No radioactive material was found during preliminary testing, according to board members at a Tuesday meeting. The issue was raised by board member Jerry Ensminger, a retired Marine whose daughter died of cancer in 1985. He recently found the documents about the site while researching water contamination aboard the base.

"We've known about the Naval Research Lab Dump site since 2004," said Robert Lowder, Camp Lejeune's installation restoration program manager.

That was when Lowder and other base officials came across a 1981 Navy document outlining the removal of soil and animal carcasses and 518 "beta buttons" containing strontium-90, an isotope known to cause cancer. The letter states the material was to be moved, but there is no documentation that confirms that, Lowder said.

A 1983 assessment study deemed the site in need of "no further action," he said, so he and the board focused their efforts on other sites being developed around the base.

It is believed that the Naval Research Lab was operated in the 1950s aboard Camp Lejeune, but Lowder says officials don't know for how long and what exactly was tested there. The beta buttons were apparently used on the decks of ships in the 1950s and brought back to Camp Lejeune and tested on dog carcasses, he said.

"It's a valid concern," Lowder said. "But we have to find supporting documentation and do more comprehensive sampling. If we find something we're going to go out there and remediate or (9th Marine Regiment) will have to relocate."

Further testing is expected to be conducted on the site in August.

"We have no idea what's there or whether radioactive material is there," said board member Randy McElveen of the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. "We've never dealt with radioactive material before. We hope whatever was there was taken off site and disposed of properly."

Ensminger wants to know why the radiation dumping site wasn't brought before the public sooner and whether it presents health risks to residents and those who work nearby.

"This might explain some of these strange cancers people are having on this base," he said. "Why hasn't anything been done?"

Lowder said he is trying to track down anyone who worked on the base at the time of the Naval Research Lab or during the radiation testing in the 1980s that has more information.

The Restoration Advisory Board, under the Installation Restoration Program, is assessing and cleaning up a number of possibly contaminated groundwater sites around the base, including seven abandoned range sites targeted for various construction projects.

"This board was started to help the community to be involved in our clean up remedies and give people an opportunity for feedback," McElveen said. "A number of things can cause contamination, such as accidental spills or improper disposal, but we design a remedy to make sure no harm comes to the people."

For more information on Camp Lejeune's Installation Restoration Program, visit the Web site public.lantops-ir.org/sit...ault.aspx.

Contact staff writer Chrissy Vick at cvick@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 8466. To comment on this story, go to www.jdnews.com.

Ellie