A Bennington Superior Court Judge has approved the settlement between the state, and the company Saint-Gobain, over water contamination in Bennington.Judge William Cohen on Monday signed off on the agreement that will have Saint-Gobain pay $20 million for waterline extensions to homes that are contaminated with PFOA.
PFOA is a chemical that has been linked to thyroid disease, cancer and high cholesterol. Saint-Gobain owned the Chemfab plant in Bennington where the PFOA was used to manufacture waterproof fabric.
The state says the chemical polluted water in the area. The Scott administration announced the settlement with Saint-Gobain in July. The agreement covers land in the western portion of the contaminated area.
The two sides are still negotiating over how contamination affected wells in another area to the east.
The judge's decision to sign the consent order means the state can move ahead with the waterline extensions, which will eventually serve about 200 homes.
