A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit filed on behalf of current and former Garner Correctional Institution prisoners who were allegedly exposed to radon while incarcerated can proceed, paving the way for possible class action certification.

In her Sept. 27 ruling, U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton denied Connecticut’s motion to dismiss. In her sharply worded ruling, Arterton said the claim of radon exposure by the plaintiffs, including lead plaintiff and current inmate Harry Vega, “are not merely speculative.”