CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice announced it approved nearly 650 settlement offers totaling $175 million over the past three weeks for victims of water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Payments to qualifying victims range from $100,000 to $550,000.
Since Jan. 20, 2025, the federal government has paid more than $421 million in settlements to service members and their families, according to a release sent Tuesday.
These payments are part of the Elective Option program established under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. The legislation aims to compensate service members and others who were exposed to contaminated water at the North Carolina base between 1953 and 1987 and later developed cancer or other diseases.
[ READ MORE >> Veterans awaiting compensation after being exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune ]
Since the Elective Option was first announced in 2023, the Department of Justice has approved 2,531 total settlement offers. This brings the cumulative compensation approved under the program to approximately $708 million.
The contamination involved two of the eight water supply systems at the base during the 34-year period. A third system also received contaminated water intermittently during periods of water shortages.
While the government has paid out hundreds of millions, the estimated face value of all claims submitted to the Department of the Navy exceeds $335 trillion.
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said the DOJ will continue to approve these settlements on a weekly basis.
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