Court approves class action settlement arising from USSteel plant in Ecorse

Ecorse and River Rouge residents filed a class action nuisance suit , against USSteel in 2003, complaining about the steel mill's out-of-date pollution control equipment. Eventually the case settled in return for $4.45 million dollars, however, individual class members objected both to the attorney fee allocation and to the release of future claims.  In the trial court, the parties eliminated the future claim release, and on appeal, the Sixth Circuit upheld the settlement, but sent the case back for a hearing on the fee approval.