{"id":541514,"date":"2023-01-20T22:30:22","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T19:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/"},"modified":"2023-01-20T22:30:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T19:30:22","slug":"toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"#Toxic exposure victims slam military, DOJ for delaying their pursuit of justice"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25561513df1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25561513df1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/#Toxic_exposure_victims_slam_military_DOJ_for_delaying_their_pursuit_of_justice\" >Toxic exposure victims slam military, DOJ for delaying their pursuit of justice<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/#Victory_turns_to_frustration\" >Victory turns to frustration<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/#%E2%80%98The_backbone_of_our_country\" >\u2018The backbone of our country\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/#The_Camp_Lejeune_Justice_Act\" >The Camp Lejeune Justice Act<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/#Legacy_claims\" >Legacy claims<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/#%E2%80%98Im_in_limbo\" >\u2018I\u2019m in limbo\u2019<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Toxic_exposure_victims_slam_military_DOJ_for_delaying_their_pursuit_of_justice\"><\/span>Toxic exposure victims slam military, DOJ for delaying their pursuit of justice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<p>Thousands of Americans are in the dark as to when they might be able to seek justice for a historic set of toxic exposure claims, even though Congress removed the barriers that were blocking them from doing so months ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some of those involved were shocked to see their cases, related to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, dismissed last month over a technicality, requiring them to start the process over again. But they don\u2019t plan to give up the fight just yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWe sat in the gallery of the Senate three hours while the Senate voted on three different amendments and then took the final vote on the PACT Act,\u201d said Mike Partain, a breast cancer survivor born at Camp Lejeune. \u201cVeterans were crying. They were hugging each other.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Partain was referring to the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/house-bill\/3967\">Honoring our PACT Act<\/a>, an expansive bill signed into law in August that improved benefits for veterans exposed to toxins. Within the bill is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/house-bill\/6482?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22camp+lejeune%22%2C%22camp%22%2C%22lejeune%22%5D%7D&amp;s=1&amp;r=2\">a measure<\/a> permitting lawsuits for those who endured on-base water contamination decades ago at Camp Lejeune.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that payouts to Camp Lejeune victims will <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/system\/files\/2022-02\/HR3967_RCP.pdf\">amount to about $6.7 billion<\/a> through 2031.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Victory_turns_to_frustration\"><\/span>Victory turns to frustration<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t explain how elated, how relieved I was that it finally passed. I turned around and looked at Jerry and said, \u2018We won, Jerry, we won,\u2019\u201d said Partain, who has long advocated for the legislation with retired U.S. Marines Corps Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But those feelings of elation have turned into frustration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The same day that President Biden signed the bill into law, groups of plaintiffs filed multiple lawsuits against the U.S., alleging that the government failed to ensure that toxic chemicals \u201cdid not seep into the water used by the men and women who were willing to lay their lives on the line.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?w=900\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3821354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=1080,720 1080w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=645,430 645w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=50,33 50w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246623.jpg?resize=876,584 876w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Retired Marine Corps Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger addresses a rally against the federal government\u2019s support for what activists say is a known polluter. Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Just last month, however, Partain found out by chance \u2014\u202fthrough a Google alert \u2014 that his case had been dismissed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The reason for the dismissal, he learned, was a legal technicality: He needed to re-file what\u2019s known as \u201can administrative claim\u201d with the government before then filing his actual lawsuit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe law says you have to file an administrative claim with the Department of the Navy,\u201d Partain said. \u201cOur position was we already did.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Neither Partain nor Ensminger \u2014 who are working with Camp Lejeune Legal, a group of law firms pursuing federal claims under the new law \u2014 could figure out the logic behind this setback.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ensminger, who served for 25 years in the Marine Corps, slammed the military and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for doing \u201ceverything in their power to kill\u201d legislation that took decades to pass.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe Navy and the United States Marine Corps have lied, evaded, obfuscated facts,\u201d Ensminger told The Hill.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98The_backbone_of_our_country\"><\/span>\u2018The backbone of our country\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), who sponsored the Camp Lejeune bill, said that service members who chose to defend their country and those who supported them at the base \u201cwere let down by their government in a big way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese victims also waited far too long to receive the justice they deserve,\u201d Cartwright said in a Friday statement. \u201cNow that the bill has been signed into law, we should not prolong the suffering of those who served our country.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Environmental activist Erin Brockovich, who is also working with Camp Lejeune Legal, described the dismissal as \u201ca delay tactic,\u201d while calling upon the government \u201cto follow through with the spirit and the intention of this bill and what Congress passed.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe backbone of our country and who America is, is our military,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While it is notoriously difficult to sue the government, a 1946 statute called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.house.gov\/doing-business-with-the-house\/leases\/federal-tort-claims-act\">the Federal Tort Claims Act<\/a> paves the way for doing so by recognizing liability for the negligent or wrongful acts of government employees.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>But to file a such a lawsuit, an individual first must submit an administrative claim to the relevant government agency within two years of the date of negligence. That agency then has six months to complete an investigation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?w=900\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3821349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=1080,720 1080w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=645,430 645w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=50,33 50w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-486246653.jpg?resize=876,584 876w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Consumer advocate Erin Brockovich embraces retired Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger. Getty Images.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Only if the agency denies the claim can the plaintiff file a lawsuit in federal court.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Partain discovered he had breast cancer in 2007, at age 39. At the time, he was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/republicans-science.house.gov\/_cache\/files\/e\/2\/e2d4a1f2-d82e-45e9-b284-449754bf6aff\/6917E476C613D3421FFAF940A8975922.091610-partain.pdf\">one of about 64 men<\/a> who shared both this diagnosis and a history of exposure to contaminated tap water at Camp Lejeune, according to 2010 testimony he gave before Congress.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was conceived, carried and then born at the base Naval Hospital while my parents lived in base housing,\u201d he said at the time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ensminger, meanwhile, attributes his daughter Janey\u2019s leukemia to the time she spent in-utero at Camp Lejeune. Janey died of the cancer at age 9 in 1985.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Camp_Lejeune_Justice_Act\"><\/span>The Camp Lejeune Justice Act<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Marine Corps <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.atsdr.cdc.gov\/sites\/lejeune\/background.html\">first discovered specific volatile organic compounds<\/a> in the drinking water generated by Camp Lejeune treatment plants in 1982, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since then, the ATSDR has found that on-base exposures to contaminants such as trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and vinyl chloride likely <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.atsdr.cdc.gov\/sites\/lejeune\/background.html\">increased the risk of certain cancers<\/a> and other health issues from the 1950s through February 1985.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The long-awaited Camp Lejeune Justice Act, passed in August as part of the Honoring our PACT Act, allows those exposed to these toxins to file a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Northern Carolina.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Such injuries, which include in-utero exposures, must have occurred for at least 30 days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3648\" height=\"2736\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?w=900\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3821357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg 3648w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=960,720 960w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=645,484 645w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=50,38 50w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP17012785900845.jpg?resize=876,657 876w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>The globe and anchor stand at the entrance to Camp Lejeune. The Associated Press<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The new law overrides a legal hurdle \u2014 North Carolina\u2019s so-called \u201cstatute of repose\u201d \u2014\u202fthat had long prevented such cases. North Carolina is among the few states with such a statute, which prohibits lawsuits if more than 10 years have passed since the contaminating event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The problem was, however, that most plaintiffs didn\u2019t even become sick \u2014\u202flet alone know they were contaminated \u2014\u202funtil far more than a decade after the polluting incident.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But cancer survivors such as Partain and family members of those who have died wouldn\u2019t take no for an answer and ultimately vested their hopes in Congress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe couldn\u2019t go to the courts, because the courts said that we had to turn in claims before we knew were exposed and before we had cancer,\u201d Partain said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, Partain filed an administrative claim \u2014\u202fas required by the Federal Tort Claims Act, prior to a lawsuit \u2014\u202fto the Navy\u2019s Office of the Judge Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> (JAG) in 2009.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ensminger had already submitted a claim on his late daughter\u2019s behalf in 2002.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legacy_claims\"><\/span>Legacy claims<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Neither Partain nor Ensminger heard back from the Navy JAG Corps within the six-month window required by law. But if an agency <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/28\/2675\">fails to decide<\/a> on a claim within six months, that claim is considered rejected.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy original claim was actually filed in February of 2009,\u201d Partain said. \u201cAnd the JAG sat on it until spring of 2019 when I received a denial letter from JAG.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Partain and Ensminger \u2014\u202falong with more than 4,000 other claimants \u2014 received a letter rejecting their claims that year, according to a November court document submitted by the DOJ.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The letter, shared by Partain with The Hill, justified the rejections by citing North Carolina\u2019s statute of repose \u2014 explaining that the claimants \u201cdid not file their claims within 10 years\u201d of the last contamination incident they experienced at Camp Lejeune.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But when the Camp Lejeune Justice Act became law in August, Partain said he had assumed that his dismissed administrative claim \u2014 now known as a \u201clegacy claim\u201d \u2014 made him eligible to seek justice from the government.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe day that the president signed the bill, our cases were delivered, hand delivered, to Navy JAG department at the Washington Navy Yard,\u201d Ensminger said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey refused to accept them,\u201d he added, noting that instead, a courier took the lawsuits to a FedEx office and shipped them a couple blocks to the Navy Yard.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On Dec. 20, U.S. District Court Judge James Dever dismissed Partain\u2019s lawsuit \u2014 filed together with other breast cancer survivors \u2014 stressing that the plaintiffs had neglected \u201cto exhaust administrative remedies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was not part of the intent of the act, and it certainly wasn\u2019t part of the law,\u201d Brockovich said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to make now thousands of legacy claims re-file.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ensminger\u2019s case has yet to be dismissed because all the lawsuits were distributed among four judges \u2014 three who have already rejected their pile and one who has not issued a decision, according to Partain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But a bolded, caps-lock announcement <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jag.navy.mil\/organization\/code_15_Camp_Lejeune_Claims.htm\">on the Navy JAG Corps website<\/a> now indicates that \u201cclaims previously denied under the Federal Tort Claims Act involving water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. must be refiled for consideration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That failure to exhaust administrative remedies was at the core of the November response from the DOJ to Partain\u2019s initial August complaint.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ response questioned whether claims submitted \u201cyears before enactment\u201d of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act satisfy administrative requirements, stressing that the Navy did not yet have a chance to reevaluate these legacy claims under the new law.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The response also argued that while the Camp Lejeune Justice Act \u201cexpressly overrode various aspects\u201d of the Federal Tort Claims Act, it did not eliminate the need for claims to be \u201cadministratively exhausted.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo the contrary, Congress expressly reaffirmed that requirement, cross-referencing the relevant requirement and prohibiting the filing of suits in federal court before it is satisfied,\u201d the DOJ response stated.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Replying to the DOJ response later in November, a former attorney for the plaintiffs, Eric Flynn, described the government\u2019s argument as \u201cmisguided.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3308\" height=\"2269\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?w=900\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3821367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg 3308w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=300,206 300w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=768,527 768w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=1050,720 1050w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=1536,1054 1536w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=2048,1405 2048w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=645,442 645w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=50,34 50w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/AP827623954133-1.jpg?resize=876,600 876w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Jerry Ensminger holds a portrait of his daughter, Janey, in White Lake, N.C. The Associated Press<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore filing suit, a plaintiff must present an administrative claim to the Navy and the Navy must deny that claim,\u201d Flynn wrote. \u201cPlaintiffs did precisely that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nowhere does the law state that claims exhausted before the bill\u2019s enactment do not count, according to Flynn.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Hill has reached out to the House Armed Services Committee for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Separately from the Camp Lejeune claims, which must be filed through the Navy JAG Corps, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced last month that it has already received <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/opa\/pressrel\/pressrelease.cfm?id=5849\">more than 213,000 claims<\/a> related to the broader PACT Act.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The VA said that it would begin to process those claims on Jan. 1, and that 959,000 veterans had received new toxic exposure screenings \u2014\u202fwith nearly 39 percent reporting an exposure concern.<s>\u00a0<\/s>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Asked why legacy claims must be refiled and face further delays in the judiciary process, the Navy JAG Corps referred The Hill to the DOJ.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ, in turn, declined to comment on the issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Im_in_limbo\"><\/span>\u2018I\u2019m in limbo\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Mikal Watts, a trial lawyer on the Camp Lejeune Legal team, told The Hill in a statement that he and his team \u201cdidn\u2019t believe the law required re-presentment of claims already denied.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, we respect court decisions and will abide by whatever the courts decide either way,\u201d Watts said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Both Partain and Ensminger already re-filed new claims as a backup measure months ago, but Partain said he has yet to receive confirmation that Navy JAG got his new claim.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m in limbo in that sense,\u201d Partain said. \u201cBut the thing is, for those people who didn\u2019t and just filed suit, now they would have to file a new claim all over again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stressing that these are identical claims to those denied in 2019, he questioned the government\u2019s motive in making \u201cpeople who have been waiting 17 years\u201d wait still longer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While acknowledging that \u201cthe wheels of justice\u201d can move slowly, Partain emphasized his growing frustration and disillusionment with a fight he thought he finally had won.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe president signed the law, Congress passed a law, it\u2019s clear that they\u2019re wanting this issue resolved, but yet we\u2019re getting delays,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd this is yet another delay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/equilibrium-sustainability\/3821287-toxic-exposure-victims-slam-military-doj-for-delaying-their-pursuit-of-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Toxic exposure victims slam military, DOJ for delaying their pursuit of justice Thousands of Americans are in the dark as to when they might be able to seek justice for a historic set of toxic exposure claims, even though Congress removed the barriers that were blocking them from doing so months ago.\u00a0 Some of those&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":541515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/camplejeune_04292022ap.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134344,134418,73798,134661,134420,100953,40445],"class_list":["post-541514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-administration","tag-congress-blog","tag-defense","tag-energy-environment","tag-equilibrium-sustainability","tag-erin-brockovich","tag-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/541515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}