A final judgment for more than $926 million was entered Monday on behalf of homeowners who lived near the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant in 1989 as a long-running lawsuit edged closer to appeal.
The landowners, who were downwind from the nuclear facility, sued two companies that operated the site, Rockwell International Corp. and the Dow Chemical Co.
In his decision, U.S. District Judge John L. Kane followed the jury’s award by granting the landowners up to $725.9 million in compensatory damages, including prejudgment interest.
In addition, Kane entered judgment for $110.8 million for “exemplary” damages from Dow and $89.4 million from Rockwell.
Kane also ruled that — when expected appeals are exhausted and if the ruling stands — he would appoint a claims administrator to divide the money among the affected homeowners.
