Baron and Budd Announces Federal Judge’s Preliminary Approval of Settlement in Atrazine Water Contamination Case

Shareholder Scott Summy Calls Settlement a Victory for Public Water Providers

DALLAS –(June 1, 2012) –On May 31, 2012, U.S District Judge J. Phil Gilbert of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois gave preliminary approval to a proposed settlement that would provide $105 million to hundreds of public water providers who have atrazine in their source water. The majority of these water providers are located the Midwest region of the United States.

The class action, (City of Greenville v. Syngenta Crop Protection, S.D. Ill., No. 3:10-cv-00188), is the first of its kind in the U.S. The class action was handled by Baron and Budd in collaboration with Korein Tillery L.L.C. in St. Louis. Baron and Budd is a national law firm with a history of successful representation of public water providers. The defendant, Syngenta AG, is a Swiss-based, multinational agrichemical company that manufactures and distributes atrazine.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, $105 million will be paid to owner/ operators of public water systems based upon the severity of contamination.

Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States, with approximately 75 million pounds applied each year to crops. In normal use, some atrazine is absorbed by plants, but some runs off into surface water and a small amount migrates into groundwater, where even a small amount can contaminate public drinking water.
“This landmark settlement is the result of Baron and Budd’s continued commitment to fight for clean water,” said Scott Summy, Baron & Budd shareholder and head of the law firm’s water contamination group. "I am extremely proud of this result. Our Water Contamination Group is devoted to helping public water providers across America recover necessary funds to assist in the expensive filtration costs of removing contaminants that infiltrate public drinking water supplies.”
Fellow Shareholders Carla Burke and Cary McDougal also assisted with the litigation.
Baron and Budd and Scott Summy have a long and successful history fighting to protect America’s drinking water. The firm was responsible for negotiating the landmark $422 Million MTBE settlement and Scott Summy currently has a leadership role in the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill negotiations.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Austin and Los Angeles, is a nationally recognized law firm with a 30-year history of “Protecting What’s Right” for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd’s size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals, governmental and business entities in areas as diverse as water contamination, Gulf oil spill, Qui Tam, California Proposition 65 violations, dangerous medications and medical devices, Chinese drywall, insurance claims, commercial litigation, consumer fraud, securities fraud and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma. Learn more about the mesothelioma attorneys at Baron & Budd.