Anyone who wants to “opt out” of the settlement — meaning they get no money from it but could file their own case — has to submit an exclusion request to the court postmarked no later than Dec. 8.
In the case, lawyers for residents and businesses had alleged that West Virginia American Water Co. did not adequately prepare for or respond to the chemical spill and that MCHM-maker Eastman Chemical did not properly warn Freedom Industries of the dangers of its chemical or take any action when Eastman officials learned that the Freedom facility along the Elk River in Charleston was in disrepair.
Claims may be submitted online at that same site, and more information also may be obtained by calling 1-855-829-8121.
As with other class-action cases, residents and businesses don’t have to have signed up with a lawyer prior to the settlement to be part of the class.
Filing claims gives class members more options about how much compensation they could receive.
The class covered by the case includes 224,000 residents and 7,300 businesses.
Exclusions should be mailed to WV Water Settlement Opt Outs, P.O.
Class members who do not want to exclude themselves may still object to all or part of the settlement.
The deadline for such objections also is this Friday.
Those should be sent to United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia Clerk of the Court, Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, 300 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301.