Tens of thousands of people, who have filed claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, could see their claims against the federal government move faster. 

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Navy announced a voluntary elective option Wednesday for qualifying claims.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, passed under the PACT Act in Congress last summer, allows victims to take legal action against the federal government. The government has acknowledged that chemicals in Lejeune’s water from 1953 to 1987 are responsible for causing cancer, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses. 

Spectrum News previously reported on complaints the federal government has been responding too slowly to the claims since the legislation allowing them was passed last summer. As of May, no claims have been settled.

The DOJ and Navy said more than 93,000 claims have been filed so far.

This new elective option is aimed at narrowing the scope of the government’s review, with the goal of producing quicker settlement offers. 

“The Elective Option is a critical step in bringing relief to qualifying claimants impacted by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, who will now have an avenue for receiving quick and early resolution of claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta in a press release.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human services, as many as a million people might have been exposed to the contaminated drinking water at the Jacksonville, N.C. base. 

“The Elective Option presented today should be of great interest to eligible Americans who seek a streamlined process to resolve their claims,” said Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven in a press release. “We are committed to ensuring that every valid Camp Lejeune claim is resolved fairly and as expeditiously as possible.”