Portland glass maker settles class action lawsuit for $6.5M

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Portland glass manufacturer has settled a class action lawsuit brought by neighbors over concerns about toxic air pollution.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Thursday that the $6.5 million settlement with Bullseye Glass Co. will allow for cash payments for over 2,000 households in southeast Portland neighborhoods surrounding the glass maker.

In February 2016, the state ordered the company to stop using some dangerous chemicals after high levels of cadmium and arsenic were detected around the plant. The complaint filed in March 2016 alleged that Bullseye released arsenic, cadmium and other potentially toxic heavy metals from its plant over decades.

The company has installed new filtration systems and said in a news release that the company is now “in compliance with the most stringent federal and state emissions standards.”