As many as 229 property owners in Myrtle Beach could become plaintiffs in a lawsuit against electronics manufacturer AVX Corp. that alleges the company contaminated groundwater.

The Sun News of Myrtle beach reported a state judge this week certified the suit as a class action.

The 4-year-old lawsuit suit says the company polluted groundwater with an industrial degreaser linked to cancer and other health problems. The lawsuit contends the pollution ruined property values in a 12-block area near the old AVX plant. The suit is not expected to be heard until next year.

AVX settled a separate lawsuit with an adjacent property owner earlier this year while a third contamination lawsuit is pending.