PORTLAND, Maine — A Portland judge is poised to sign off on a settlement fund worth hundreds of million of dollars to help victims of the 2013 Lac Megantic rail tragedy in Quebec.
But payments could be help up by a court challenge in Canada.
The judge in Portland's bankruptcy court is expected to follow the lead of his Canadian counterparts and approve the $338 million settlement — about half of which will go to victims' families and survivors of the 2013 derailment, which claimed 48 lives in total.
But payments could be held up by a legal challenge from Canadian Pacific Railway, or C-P, one of the groups being sued over the incident.
C-P did play a role in operating part of the oil shipment, but the company maintains it bears no responsibility for the tragedy. C-P's request to appeal the decision will be heard next month in a Canadian courtroom.