At long last, a settlement has been reached between Dartmouth College and the family of Richard and Debbie Higgins who claim, according to a lawsuit, that they “suffered health problems from drinking well water contaminated by runoff from a site where the college once dumped animals used in scientific experiments.” According to a statement issued by the college, Dartmouth and the family “have reached a negotiated settlement of all claims related to contamination of the drinking water well at 9 Rennie Road.” The settlement, according to the college, will allow the Higgins family to “move on with their lives in a new location.”
At long last, a settlement has been reached between Dartmouth College and the family of Richard and Debbie Higgins who claim, according to a lawsuit, that they “suffered health problems from drinking well water contaminated by runoff from a site where the college once dumped animals used in scientific experiments.” According to a statement issued by the college, Dartmouth and the family “have reached a negotiated settlement of all claims related to contamination of the drinking water well at 9 Rennie Road.” The settlement, according to the college, will allow the Higgins family to “move on with their lives in a new location.”
But when did the Higgin’s family find out about the contamination in the first place? Well, it started back in the fall of 2015 when the family’s water “tested at 6 parts per billion of 1,4-dioxane, exceeding state standards of 3 parts per billion.” The chemical, which has been classified as “a probable human carcinogen” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was actually used in the animal experiments, so it wasn’t long after the high levels were detected in the family’s water that mediation began between the Higgins and Dartmouth.
Because exposure to the chemical “may cause damage to the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys,” the Higgins family was eager to settle the matter. In response to the settlement, Richard Higgins said, “we’re just happy that we are being able to move on. It’s been very tiresome for us and we’re just really happy to be moving on.”
As it stands right now, the college has agreed “to buy the Higgins’ home and provide additional compensation to them for the emotional impacts they’ve suffered as a result of the contamination, to reflect their investment in necessary accommodations in their home.” Additionally, Dartmouth has “committed funds to a health maintenance trust fund for the family to use in their sole discretion for health and medical-related needs.”
For now, the Higgins family hopes to remain in Hanover, and are seeking a “suitable building lot on which they can build a wheelchair accessible home for themselves.” The house that the college is buying from them was made wheelchair accessible to accommodate Deborah Higgins’ wheelchair. many years ago.
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Family reaches settlement with Dartmouth over water contamination
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