Big Dig Manslaughter Charge Dropped After $16M Deal

The legal wrangling around a 2006 Boston tunnel collapse that killed one woman appears to finally be over, the Globe reports. In exchange for a $16 million fine, prosecutors have dropped manslaughter charges against Powers Fasteners, which manufactured a supposedly fast-setting epoxy that failed to support ceiling panels. Powers must also recall the adhesive and is suspended from government contracts.

Powers allegedly failed to inform contractors about the danger of using the epoxy for ceiling applications. The family of the dead woman, Milena Del Valle, will eventually collect $28 million in damages from involved parties, including $6 million from Powers and a sum from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. “Legally, it ends now,” a family lawyer said. “But emotionally it goes on forever.” (More Boston stories.)