Sometimes an herbicide can be too effective. Class action claims against DuPont think so, alleging that the company's Imprelis herbicide killed thousands of trees when applied as a weed-killer. But DuPont is approaching a settlement now with its accusers—it received preliminary approval for the deal from U.S. District Judge Gene Pratter on Tuesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started investigating Imprelis after customers including golf courses and sod farms reported damage to evergreen trees. The EPA halted sales of the herbicide, many consumers filed lawsuits, and DuPont itself produced more than 7,000 reports of damage to trees.

DuPont set up its own claims resolution process, but customers seemed to prefer your classic lawsuit format. Hence, the settlement.