WASHINGTON — Federal scientists studying the history of water
contamination at Camp Lejeune, N.C., have learned of another
source of leaking fuel — this one less than a football field
away from a drinking well that once served thousands of Marines
and their families. The well was closed in December 1984 after
benzene was found in the water. The source of contamination that
scientists now are exploring was once an on-base refueling
station within an area of the Marine base known as Hadnot Point.
The refueling facility, Building 1115, contained seven
underground storage tanks that ranged in size from 1,000 to
5,000 gallons. The extent of the contamination on the Marine
base — and its sources — are important to federal scientists at
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an arm of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, who
are trying to understand the health effects of the contaminants
in the base's water. Officials at ATSDR were unable to respond
Thursday to e-mailed questions