$65 million settlement reached in Hoosick Falls class action lawsuit

HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Three of the four defendants in the Hoosick Falls PFOA contaminant case have agreed to a $65.25 million settlement.

“The community is ready to get this behind us," said Hoosick Falls Mayor Rob Allen.

Allen said the settlement of the PFOA class action lawsuit is a sign of good things to come.  

“It doesn’t erase everything that was done. It doesn’t erase the lives affected, the lives lost, but it’s a really important first step,” Allen said.  

3M, Saint-Gobain and Honeywell have agreed to a settlement awaiting approval from a federal judge. Dupont has not.  

In a statement Honeywell said in part: "The remediation in Hoosick Falls is a top priority for Honeywell ... we continue to work collaboratively and transparently ... to conduct environmental investigations, construct interim remedies, and implement cleanup plans."

"The health, safety and wellbeing of both our employees and the communities in which we operate are important to us, and we take that responsibility very seriously," said Director of Business Communications at Saint-Gobain Lia LoBello.

The settlement will be divided between three classes: property owners, private well owners and for medical monitoring. The rest of the money goes toward legal fees.  

"This is a property damage nusiance and medical monitoring settlement of classes. It's not an injury or illnes settlement," said Co-lead counsel Stephen Schwarz.  

Schwarz said once the settlement is approved, his firm can begin meeting with residents to discuss what their next steps are.  

"People that end up participating in this settlement who are not sick now, who may get sick later, will retain their rights to sue in later years," Schwarz said.  

The village is weeks away from finding out where it will get clean water from. Mayor Allen hopes this announcement is a start in closing a difficult chapter for residents.  

“Once this is settled, we can basically go back to showing how great of a community it is to be here,” Allen said.