CANTON, Ill. – The City of Canton has reached a settlement with the parent company of the former International Harvester for the massive fire at the IH plant 25 years ago that burned for days.
The Canton City Council agreed this week in favor of the $2.1 million settlement following the 2010 lawsuit against Navistar.
The money is what it’s costing for cleanup and remediation costs so the land could be cleared for use by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
25 News reports the money will be paid once the state determines no other remediation is needed.
“This settlement is a huge win for the city, after years of litigation, to provide for the cleaning up and eventual development of the former International Harvester site,” said Kent McDowell, mayor of Canton, in a statement. “We are very grateful for Navistar coming to the table to reach a reasonable solution that is in the best interests of our citizens. We can start moving forward on a project that has been dormant for years.”
IH closed the plant 15 years before the fire broke out. Cook Medical is now using a portion of the site.
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