Boeing, 14 Employees Settle Chemical-Exposure Lawsuit

SEATTLE - Fourteen Boeing employees who claimed the company exposed them to hazardous chemicals at work have settled with Boeing out of court for an undisclosed amount.

"It was an amicable out-of-court settlement," said Sherry Nebel, Boeing spokeswoman. Parties and attorneys were prohibited from discussing details.

A new phenol formaldehyde resin, used in 1987 at the Auburn fabrication plant to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements on flammability, apparently caused workers to get ill. More than 60 employees filed workers' compensation claims.

A Boeing investigation concluded that it was using the material safely and exceeded industry standards for the workplace, but the company later stopped using the material.