Iola has received an unanticipated settlement amounting to $197,242.30 from the Syngenta Crop Protection corporation, Sweden-based manufacturer of the herbicide atrazine.
The settlement, according to a press release, was from a class action lawsuit brought by St. Louis law firm Korein Tillery and the Dallas firm of Barron & Budd, both of which have been representing water treatment plants against Syngenta since 2004. The total settlement was $105 million, distributed among 1,085 cities and towns in North America. Amounts received ranged from $25,000 to $1 million.
A posted statement on the website atrazinesettlement.com described the rationale behind how much different cities received from the settlement:
“These class members will receive payments based on evidence of: (1) the levels of atrazine in the water; (2) how often atrazine had been found in the water; (3) how long ago atrazine had been found in the water; and (4) the population served. Generally, the more water processed by a system or the frequency of high concentrations of atrazine, the more money they received.”
Toby Ross, Iola’s water and wastewater superintendent, said while Iola did receive a large sum from Syngenta, the levels of atrazine in local water have always been low. Legally, the amount of the herbicide in the water must be lower than three parts per billion.
Ross said three years ago the corporation requested to use the Iola water plant as a sample site, and it took atrazine measurements 310 times in the past three years. He said the water coming through the plant averaged .11 parts per billion — significantly lower than the maximum allowed.
“I’m not sure how we got the amount we got,” Ross said. “Our water is safe, there is no atrazine problem in Iola.”
Humboldt City Administrator Larry Tucker said the city of Humboldt recieved $73,000 from the settlement — “a nice surprise.” The last reported amount of atrazine in their water supply was .46 parts per billion, also well below the maximum amount.
Ross said the herbicide is used on crops in the area, and during heavy rains it washed from fields and into the lakes and rivers. Water treatment plants have been set up to treat chemicals in the water to make it safe for consumption.
As for the funds, they will go into the water fund, it has been struggling for the past couple years, so that should help a bit,” he said.
The funds distributed under the settlement are meant to reimburse treatment plants for the cost of removing the herbicide. The plants provide water for approximately 37 million people across the country.
According to an official statement from lead attorney Stephen Tillery, the amount given out through the settlement is unprecedented.
“Every cent of the settlement fund will be distributed to class members.” Tillery said, “The scope of this settlement is enormous. These settlement funds will be used to help protect the health of millions of people across the country.”
City receives settlement from herbicide lawsuit
