A $34 million settlement was announced earlier this week between plastics maker Saint-Gobain and the people of Benning ton. After property owners blamed the company for PFOA contamination in their soil, drinking water and groundwater derived from their plant. “For decades they have been drinking, showering, feeding their pets, raising their children with PFOA in their water,” Senator Brian Campion, Democrat, Bennington, said.PFOA is a man-made harsh chemical, that is associated with kidney, testicular and other cancers. Along with other serious diseases.“Because I’m a member of this community I saw how traumatized, and how upset and concerned and really scared, people were when they found out about the contamination of their wells and their soil,” David Silver, one of the attorneys working on the settlement, and resident of Bennington, said.The proposed settlement calls for Saint-Gobain performance plastics to pay eligible Benning ton property owners a total of $26.2 million.“And also get some decent amount of compensation for the upset, annoyance, concern and the damage to their property value,” Silver said.The settlement also provides $6 million for a free medical monitoring program for eligible residents who drank contaminated water with levels of PFOA in their bloodstream.“A lot of people were able to take blood tests a couple of years ago, when the Vermont Department of Health was providing them free of charge,” said Emily Joselson, another one of the attorneys working on the settlement.Five hundred people who live in the area had elevated PFOA levels in their blood. They will be eligible for the monitoring program. Which is designed to catch early warning signs of diseases derived from the harsh chemical … and will be run by the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.“For the next 15 years there will be screenings and clinical interviews for everyone who is eligible,” Joselson said.A judge still has to give final approval on the settlement. Saint-Gobain released a statement to NBC 5. “Since we first learned about the presence of PFAS in Bennington, Saint-Gobain made it clear we would take a leadership position on the issue, even though our Bennington plant has not been in operation since 2002. We believe these settlements and the extensive remediation work already completed are indicative of that commitment.”
A $34 million settlement was announced earlier this week between plastics maker Saint-Gobain and the people of Benning ton. After property owners blamed the company for PFOA contamination in their soil, drinking water and groundwater derived from their plant.
“For decades they have been drinking, showering, feeding their pets, raising their children with PFOA in their water,” Senator Brian Campion, Democrat, Bennington, said.
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PFOA is a man-made harsh chemical, that is associated with kidney, testicular and other cancers. Along with other serious diseases.
“Because I’m a member of this community I saw how traumatized, and how upset and concerned and really scared, people were when they found out about the contamination of their wells and their soil,” David Silver, one of the attorneys working on the settlement, and resident of Bennington, said.
The proposed settlement calls for Saint-Gobain performance plastics to pay eligible Benning ton property owners a total of $26.2 million.
“And also get some decent amount of compensation for the upset, annoyance, concern and the damage to their property value,” Silver said.
The settlement also provides $6 million for a free medical monitoring program for eligible residents who drank contaminated water with levels of PFOA in their bloodstream.
“A lot of people were able to take blood tests a couple of years ago, when the Vermont Department of Health was providing them free of charge,” said Emily Joselson, another one of the attorneys working on the settlement.
Five hundred people who live in the area had elevated PFOA levels in their blood. They will be eligible for the monitoring program. Which is designed to catch early warning signs of diseases derived from the harsh chemical … and will be run by the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.
“For the next 15 years there will be screenings and clinical interviews for everyone who is eligible,” Joselson said.
A judge still has to give final approval on the settlement. Saint-Gobain released a statement to NBC 5.
“Since we first learned about the presence of PFAS in Bennington, Saint-Gobain made it clear we would take a leadership position on the issue, even though our Bennington plant has not been in operation since 2002. We believe these settlements and the extensive remediation work already completed are indicative of that commitment.”
