ATLANTA — A medical sterilization company has agreed to settle nearly 80 lawsuits alleging people were exposed to a cancer-causing chemical emitted from its plant outside of Atlanta.Details of the settlement were submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. In a statement Wednesday, the company denied any liability, and the 79 plaintiffs must agree to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the decision is final.
“Sterigenics and Sotera Health LLC deny any liability and the term sheet explicitly provides that the settlement is not to be construed as an admission of any liability or that emissions from Sterigenics’ Atlanta facility have ever posed any safety hazard to the surrounding communities,” according to the statement.
In the statement addressed to investors, the company states that it “intends to vigorously defend its remaining ethylene oxide cases.”