Ecology Center's lindane suit settled

The Ecology Center has settled a lawsuit filed by a pharmaceutical company that sought more than $9 million from the Ann Arbor-based nonprofit because of its participation in an aggressive campaign to restrict use of a chemical believed to be harmful to people and the environment.

The settlement with Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals is not an admission of guilt and the Ecology Center will not pay the company any money, said Mike Garfield, director of the center.

The Ecology Center must post seven clarifications of previous statements on its Web site for two weeks.

The settlement, announced Thursday, ends nearly two years of litigation.

"We consider this outcome an unqualified victory," Garfield said. "From the outset, we viewed Morton Grove's lawsuit as a baseless tactic designed to stifle public debate."

Calls to Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals, an Illinois-based company that develops and manufactures prescription oral liquid and topical medications, were not returned Friday. There is no mention of the settlement on that company's Web site.