A Burns Charest legal team has reached settlement terms in 70 cases brought by former aluminum processing plant workers on the island of St. Croix who have suffered severe health problems from years of exposure to bauxite dust from ore supplied by Swiss mining company Glencore. Documented effects from inhaling the fine particulate include a range of debilitating and chronic respiratory conditions. 

The legal team uncovered evidence that the plant operator, Virgin Islands Alumina Company, failed to provide adequate protection against bauxite dust and other hazardous materials and the lack of other safety protocols. The lawsuit says Glencore should have been aware of the poor safety conditions of the plant and notified workers of health risks and proper safety measures. The case was set to be heard by the Supreme Court of the U.S. Virgin Islands before attorneys notified the judge of the settlements.  

This is the latest set of settlements in a legal battle that started in 2007, and several of the original plaintiffs have died due to exposure-related health issues while their families have continued to seek justice.  

A few months before this settlement, Burns Charest attorneys represented 80 plant workers in reaching a settlement with defense company Lockheed Martin, which now owns the companies that processed bauxite in the U.S.V.I. 

The news of the settlements was featured in The St. Thomas Source.