Attorneys with Burns Charest have reached a proposed $35 million settlement on behalf of residents of the island of St. Croix who suffered pollution and a range of medical conditions tied to the release of toxic elements from the Limetree Bay oil refinery on the island.

The refinery was shut down by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after a May 2021 accident released a rain of oil on local homes. The proposed class action suit was filed in June 2021 alleging multiple toxic releases had contaminated local air quality and water supplies.

The refinery’s previous owners were charged with Clean Air Act violations in 2012 and declared bankruptcy, and the litigation alleged the subsequent owners failed to address known operational issues, leading to the air and water contamination. According to the proposed class action lawsuit, the refnery faced multiple delays and mounting financial pressures before resuming full operations in early 2021.

St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, located 65 miles southeast of Puerto Rico.