WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Water Gremlin and parent company Okabe reached a settlement in 2014 lawsuits filed by people accusing them of causing their health problems.
Nearly a hundred people have sued in the case now bankrupt plant in White Bear Township last year due to exposure to a toxic and carcinogenic chemical called TCE. That chemical is now forbidden in the state, and recently the EPA banned it as well.
News of a settlement follows one multi-year WCCO research led by senior investigative journalist Jennifer Mayerle.
Many have lived near the White Bear Township plant for years wondered what caused their cancer and why their health had deteriorated. Then in 2019 they learned about Water Gremlin’s excessive release of TCE in the air for more than 15 years. They said it felt like they finally had answers. The discovery led to 95 lawsuits. Water Gremlin noted the lawsuits in its bankruptcy filing.
The settlement, which has yet to be signed, is almost $28 million.
Part, $14.4 million, will come from Okabe, the rest from the factory’s bankruptcy trust. The court will then decide how the money will be distributed and what individuals will receive.
WCCO has gotten to know the people at the center of the lawsuits. Page Stevens suffers from leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Kerri Lueke had a rare skin cancer removed. Steve Laliberte fears his multiple myeloma will come back. Shelly Tripp’s lung function is deteriorating. Dave Strong’s wife Louise died of cancer. What they all have in common is that they live close to the factory.
Their attorney Dean Salita said in part, “When Water Gremlin filed for bankruptcy, its assets were sold, limiting the amount of money available to these victims. However, we are pleased to have reached a global solution… some justice for our customers.”
The bankruptcy court must approve the settlement, which should happen in the coming months. The people involved in the lawsuits cannot yet discuss the settlement.
WCCO has reached out to Water Gremlin and Okabe’s attorneys but has not heard back.
