UPDATE – Final Approval: Settlement in Class Action Litigation, Paulsboro, NJ Residents

The parties in Thomas, et al. v. Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC, et al., announce that the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey has preliminarily approved a class action settlement. The hearing on final approval of the settlement is scheduled for June 2, 2016 at 10 a.m. at the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Mitchell H. Cohen Building & U.S. Courthouse, 4^th & Cooper Streets, Camden, NJ 08101.

UPDATE: Final Approval of the settlement reached June 2, 2016

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of residents of the Borough of Paulsboro, New Jersey, and alleges that Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC (Solvay) and Arkema Inc. (Arkema) each separately owned and operated a manufacturing plant at 10 Leonard Lane, West Deptford, New Jersey and caused the discharge of perfluorinated compounds, which allegedly entered the municipal water supply of the Borough of Paulsboro. Solvay and Arkema deny these allegations, but have agreed to resolve the class action to avoid the burden and expense of continued litigation. The Court has not ruled on the merits of the claims.

The settlement applies to persons who resided in the Borough of Paulsboro for at least 12 months between August 19, 2009 and April 10, 2014 or who owned residential property at any time between August 5, 2013 and April 10, 2014. Additional information, including the deadline for submitting any objections to the settlement, is available at www.PaulsboroWaterSettlement.com.

The proposed settlement will be reviewed by Judge Noel L. Hillman of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, where the consolidated class action lawsuit is pending. Further information concerning the details of the settlement is available from the Court’s docket, Case No. 1:14-cv-01870-NLH-JS.