Bermuda Regiment soldiers’ exposure to contaminated water at a United States camp was not enough to affect their health, according to the commanding officer.An Oscar-shortlisted documentary set to be shown in Bermuda claims soldiers and their families at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune were subjected to drinking water poisoned by toxic military waste between 1957 and 1987.The camp has been used for Bermuda Regiment training for many years, but commanding officer Lt Col Brian Gonsalves played down the suggestion Bermudians faced a major health risk.“I have heard very little about this issue,” Lt Col Gonsalves told The Royal Gazette.“I can confirm the Regiment travelled to Camp Lejeune for training purposes four times between 1980 and 1987.“Most soldiers were in the country for only two weeks each time while a small percentage may have spent just over four weeks.“Most soldiers would have travelled only once to Camp Lejeune during their military service while some may have travelled each of the four years.“I understand the issue is based around prolonged exposure to the drinking water. In our most extreme cases, the maximum exposure for a small percentage of our soldiers would be about four weeks every two years.”The film, ‘Semper Fi: Always Faithful’, which has won the Ridenhour Documentary Film Prize, focuses on former marine Jerry Ensminger’s quest for the truth about the death of his nine-year-old daughter, Janey, of leukaemia.It is showing at Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute on Sunday, as part of the Bermuda Docs festival.Mr Ensminger claims Janey was one of many people to develop serious illness while at the camp, including 73 men who have been diagnosed with male breast cancer.The Marine Corps has acknowledged some water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated by toxic chemicals between the 1950s and 1980s, but has never reported a direct link between the water and any illness.Mr Ensminger and film director Rachel Libert will be in Bermuda for the showing, and will also visit Bermuda High School for Girls and Mount St Agnes Academy to talk about the film.Bermuda has long had its own complaints about US military waste, with the former Morgan’s Point Baseland still requiring clean-up as plans take shape for a multimillion dollar hotel resort; meanwhile one veteran claimed he was instructed to burn Agent Orange while stationed at Kindley Air Force Base.Ms Libert told The Royal Gazette: “While Semper Fi: Always Faithful focuses on the story of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the issue of pollution created by the US Department of Defense extends well beyond our border.“The United States Department of Defense is the world’s largest polluter. They generate more toxic waste than the five largest US chemical companies combined and there are contamination issues at many of their overseas military installations.”Mr Ensminger said: “This film is relevant to any human being on the face of the earth because of the environmental message it delivers.“If you are not careful or watchful, the same thing could happen again and again and again.”The former US Naval Annex at Morgan’s Point is now the subject of a proposed $2 billion hotel development, but Government has said it will cost $30 to $40 million to clean up pollution left behind by the Americans 17 years ago.Last night, developer Craig Christensen argued the scale of the mess is much less than previously claimed.He said just two out of the site’s 248 acres contain pollution, including jet fuel which goes 60 feet beneath the surface, and thousands of gallons of black oil in Bassett’s Cave.An extensive operation will take place to remove that waste, he said, but tests show the environment is not harmful to humans.“The pollution was really talked up at the time, but it was exaggerated,” said Mr Christensen.“There’s nothing out there that will make you sick or ill. I think the Government at one stage was trying to make it sound as bad as possible in order to try to get some funding out of the US government to clean it up.“But we researched it thoroughly before acquiring the land to make sure we knew what we were inheriting.”Duncan Hall, director of Bermuda Docs, said: “The film is about a father’s love for his daughter, and his unwavering efforts to find out what really happened at Camp Lejeune.”Tickets are available at www.bdatix.bm.