The company at the center of West Virginia
Freedom Industries Chief Restructuring
Officer Mark Welch wrote in bankruptcy filings that despite the price tag, the
court should let Freedom make the payments through March 31 for contractors.
The costs include environmental cleanup, legal fees, consulting and more.
Freedom filed for bankruptcy eight days
after its tank leaked chemicals into the water supply for 300,000 people.
Dozens of businesses and individuals sued Freedom, but the lawsuits are frozen
during bankruptcy proceedings. Restaurants filed many of the suits, claiming
they lost profits amid a water-use ban lasting four to 10 days.
Welch wrote that some contracted work
helped minimize other costs.
