Tag: Spill Claims

West Virginia Seeks $1.8 Million from Freedom Industries

  The state of West Virginia is seeking $1.8 million from the bankrupt company that spilled chemicals into the state’s largest water supply.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed the claim in bankruptcy court in Charleston.

The claim against Freedom Industries covers multiple agencies’ spill response efforts, including personnel costs, clean water supplies, research and testing.

The Department of Health and Human Resources is seeking more than $940,000, the most of the agencies.

The claim does not cover the state Department of Environmental Protection. The agency’s separate filing says Freedom is still liable for site cleanup under state orders.

Claimants had until Aug. 1 to file with the court. Freedom’s resources have dwindled during bankruptcy and site cleanup.

Freedom’s January spill contaminated tap water for 300,000 people for days.

Deadline Approaches for Claims in W.Va. Chemical Spill

    

Time is running out for residents and businesses affected by a January chemical spill in Charleston to file claims in federal bankruptcy court.

Claims against Freedom Industries, the company responsible for the spill, must be filed by Friday. Forms can be obtained and completed on the court’s website.

According to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Charleston, roughly 850 claims were on the register as of Wednesday morning. The total amount listed for those claims is more than $21 million.

Business losses must be accompanied by documentation, but residents don’t need documentation for personal damage.

The Jan. 9 spill at Freedom’s plant along the Elk River caused a tap-water ban for 300,000 people for days.

Dozens of individuals and businesses have sued Freedom, but those legal cases were frozen when the company filed for bankruptcy protection eight days after the spill. 

Legal observers do not believe there will be much money left in Freedom for claims after the bankruptcy proceedings.

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