Suits against defunct Water Gremlin over cancer, chronic illness and wrongful death settled

Nearly 100 Minnesotans, who say pollution problems harmed their health, have won a multi-million-dollar legal settlement.  

The former Water Gremlin plant in White Bear Township, Minnesota, released excessive amounts of a cancer-causing chemical for more than 15 years.

"I'll be honest. I wish it was more, especially with the folks who are still dealing with huge medical bills and stuff like that," Dave Strong said.

Strong became part of a group none of them ever wanted to join. Ninety-five people sued Water Gremlin over its elevated emissions of the cancer-causing chemical TCE, a chemical now banned across the country. 

WCCO introduced you to some of those people over the last seven years, people like Page Stevens, Kerri Luecke and Steve Laliberte. They were all diagnosed with cancer. Shelly Tripp recently died from lung disease. All lived near the former manufacturing plant. 

"It seemed being part of that seemed like the only way that we could maybe hold them a bit accountable," Strong said.

Strong was selected as chair to help make decisions for the group, representing people with cancer, chronic illness or others, like him, who lost a loved one. His first wife, Lou, died nine years ago after battling a rare cancer. 

"She was a wonderful person. She was that person that everyone who knew her just, she would light up her room. You know, she was funny and fun, and usually the life of any party or gathering or any of that," Strong said.

The lawsuits alleged people suffered substantial damage as a result of the now bankrupt plant that made fishing sinkers and battery terminals.

Dean Salita is the attorney behind the suits.

"It's been a long time coming," Salita said.

He is now distributing the $27 million settlement, with a formula he says was decided by the court and then evaluated by a trustee.

"So what the court put in place in this case was what was the person's age, were they deceased or are they still with us? What is their life expectancy? And a little bit went into the strength of how much medical literature and how much support was behind their specific illness and connected to TCE," Salita said.

He calls it rewarding to get to a resolution with all 95 seeing something from the settlement. 

"The biggest thing I've heard back from the people I've spoken to is not about the money, it's really been about accountability. That they feel as if they were wronged, that they were not told the truth, and now, as part of this resolution, they're able to get some type of accountability," Salita said.

Strong echoes the sentiment, saying accountability in this case is key. 

"Water Gremlin was small, and they're out of business. And I think that actually is a big thing. It says something. But they were, you know, they were owned by a company that much bigger and with a lot more money and power. I would like them to think twice about maybe other things they're doing in the future," Strong said.

There are also more than 100 lawsuits against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The state regulatory agency is accused of failing to protect the public from Water Gremlin.

WCCO reached out to the now-defunct Water Gremlin's parent company, but hasn't heard back.