- What are hazardous substances/wastes?
- What are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)?
- Which chemicals (or VOCs) were found in the water at Camp Lejeune?
- Are the volatile organic compounds in question (TCE, PCE) still in use on the base?
- What are TCE and PCE? How are they harmful?
- What has been done regarding ABC One-Hour Cleaners?
- Have the storage tanks in the industrial area of Camp Lejeune been cleaned up? How was that done?
For Additional Information
1. What are hazardous substances/wastes?
A hazardous substance is any material that poses a threat to human health and/or the environment.
Typical hazardous substances are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or chemically reactive. They are a source of potential harm from past, current, or future exposures. Hazardous wastes are by-products of society that can pose a substantial or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed.
2. What are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)?
VOCs are a class of chemicals with similar physical and chemical characteristics, particularly high volatility and ready evaporation into the air. VOCs generally include solvents and fuels and the two found in drinking water at Camp Lejeune in the 1980s - TCE and PCE.
3. Which chemicals (or VOCs) were found in the water at Camp Lejeune?
The chemicals of concern were primarily a degreaser, trichloroethylene (TCE), and a dry cleaning solvent, tetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene, PCE, or "PERC"). For more information on these chemicals, you can visit the ToxFAQs area of the ATSDR Web site.
4. Are the volatile organic compounds in question (TCE, PCE) still in use on the base?
TCE is still used at Camp Lejeune, as it is at many industrial operations across the country. PCE leaked into base drinking water from an off-base dry-cleaning establishment. Neither compound has been banned or is illegal. The contamination of Camp Lejeune's drinking water arose because the compounds were not stored or disposed of properly. [this is a clarification and should be more accurate]
5. What are TCE and PCE? How are they harmful?
TCE and PCE are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are a class of chemicals with similar physical and chemical characteristics, particularly high volatility. VOCs generally include solvents and fuels.
- Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a colorless liquid which is used as a solvent for cleaning metal parts.
- Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is a manufactured chemical used for dry cleaning and metal degreasing.
Exposure to these volatile organic compounds alone typically does not mean adverse health effects will occur.
Many factors determine whether people experience adverse health effects because of chemical exposure.
These factors include
- Dose (how much)
- Duration (how long the contact period is)
- When in the course of life the exposures occurred (for example, while in utero, during early childhood, or in later years of life)
- Other factors that may contribute to the likelihood of health effects are a person's exposure to other chemicals, sex (gender), diet, family traits, lifestyle, and overall state of health.
ATSDR has developed a series of fact sheets called ToxFAQs, which provide information about potential health effects from these chemicals. These fact sheets can be viewed at the ATSDR ToxFAQs web site: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html.
6. What has been done regarding ABC One-Hour Cleaners?
Currently, Camp Lejeune has provided a location on the base for the EPA to build and operate a clean-up system for the impacted groundwater originating from ABC One-Hour Cleaners. The EPA's Atlanta office is overseeing the cleanup and can be reached at 1-800-435-9233.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The ABC One-Hour Cleaners Site located in Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina is an ongoing dry cleaning facility and is situated on approximately 1 acre of land adjacent to USMC Base Camp Lejeune. Since operations began in 1954, the chemical tetrachloroethene (PCE) has been used at the facility as a dry cleaning solvent. Groundwater and soil became contaminated with solvents because of spills and mishandling of the solvents and solvents' residuals.
The site was placed on the EPA's National Priority List (NPL) for environmental cleanup in 1989. Three community wells on the base have been disconnected from the base's drinking water supply system because of contamination from ABC One-Hour Cleaners.
Approximately 4,000 cubic yards of soil is contaminated and is being treated to control the migration of the contaminants into the groundwater. The principal contaminants are chlorinated solvents such as PCE, 1-2 dichloroethene and vinyl chloride. They were detected both in soil and groundwater above safe levels.
For additional information, please visit www.epa.gov/region4/waste/npl/nplnc/abc1hrnc.htm.
7. Have the storage tanks in the industrial area of Camp Lejeune been cleaned up? How was that done?
For the answers to these questions, please contact the USMC at 1-877-261-9782 or at CLSurvey@hqmc.usmc.mil. The USMC also has a website: www.usmc.mil/camplejeune/clbwatersurveyinfo.nsf .
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