A federal judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Whirlpool, according to a statement by a company.Judge P. K. Holmes dismissed the suit following a settlement between Whirlpool and affected property owners.The company has paid more than $3 million in settlements reached last year. The lawsuit was brought by over 50 property owners in the Fort Smith area in May 2013 after the company was accused of contaminating groundwater with chemical TCE released from the company's former manufacturing facility in Fort Smith.The settlements included paying affected owners the amount that their land depreciated plus 33%. In exchange, owners agreed to relinquish all claims against the company.With the class-action suit dismissed, Whirlpool said it will fight the four claims still pending in court. Three of them are by owners whose land did not have water where TCE was detected above federal drinking water standards. The fourth did not accept Whirlpool's settlement offer.