CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Approval of a $151 million dollar class-action settlement related to the 2014 Freedom Industries chemical spill that left 300,000 people without water for nine days seems likely.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the settlement has received no formal objections from the member of the class covered by the deal with West Virginia American Water Co. and Eastman Chemical Co. More than 50,000 residential compensation claims and nearly 2,000 business claims have been filed.
U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver requested updated claim numbers and another report at the Tuesday hearing. He will review the requested information at the next hearing on Feb. 1.
An attorney for residents and businesses, Kevin Thompson, says the settlement, along with new reforms, will make similar crises less likely.
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Information from: The Charleston Gazette-Mail, http://wvgazettemail.com.
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