TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — Sixty-nine families whose children were stricken with cancer that they blame on water pollution will share at least $13.27 million from two chemical companies and a water company.

The figure was tallied from court records that became public under a state law requiring settlements with minors to be approved by a judge, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The actual figure is likely millions of dollars more but may never be made public because of a confidentiality agreement the families signed.

Representatives of the two companies and the utility refused Wednesday to discuss the amounts, citing that confidentiality agreement.

Linda Gillick, a spokeswoman for the families, would not confirm or deny the dollar amount Wednesday.

From 1979 to 1995, 90 children in Dover Township, which includes Toms River, were diagnosed with cancer — 23 cases more than researchers would normally expect to find among the township's population of about 80,000, according to state officials.

Leukemia, brain cancers and central nervous system cancer all occurred at higher-than-normal rates, according to the state.

A study concluded that there was no single environmental cause for the high cancer rates, however, contaminated well water and chemical plant emissions were linked with some leukemia cases.

The families sued Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp., Union Carbide Corp. and United Water Toms River, alleging that their children were sickened by drinking water polluted by a Ciba-Geigy chemical plant and a site where a Union Carbide contractor dumped toxic wastes in 1971. United Water bought the public water system from the Toms River Water Co. in 1994.

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Ciba and Union Carbide assumed responsibility for contamination at Dover Township's two Superfund sites, but the companies did not admit liability for water pollution thought to have played a part in the cases.

The 69 families and their lawyers announced the settlement in mid-December. Other plaintiffs declined to join the settlement are seeking class-action status for their lawsuits.

The court documents dealing with the settlement do not reveal amounts paid to the estates of 15 Toms River children who died of cancer. They also do not indicate payments made to adult siblings or survivors.

Among the attorneys for the 69 families was Jan Schlichtmann, who represented victims in a similar case at Woburn, Mass., that was the basis for the book and film "A Civil Action."

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