More than $2.8 million will be coming to the Mahoning Valley, perhaps this year, as part of multiyear settlements from the opioid epidemic, according to a settlement payment update to OneOhio Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization.

OneOhio Recovery is charged with distributing the more than $800 million opioid addiction lawsuit. The money can go toward prevention, treatment and long-term recovery; early intervention and crisis support; criminal justice services; public health awareness; workforce training fellowships and scholarships; and innovation, research and education initiatives.

But the funds are not yet ready for distribution.

The board’s August meeting was at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce offices in Columbus, and the members invested funds from settlement money on hand until it can be distributed.

“I thank all those who are contributing to our grant making process and I’m encouraged that we will soon have the system in place to begin to get grants out the door in the coming year,” said Larry Kidd, board chairman.

As the Foundation receives opioid settlement payments over the next several years, the OneOhio Memorandum of Understanding allows the board 90 days from receipt of each payment to allocate those funds for future use.

Settlement funds recently received by the Foundation are:

l   $10,556,674.14 from the Johnson & Johnson settlement (year three payment), received on June 16. There is a $185 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.

l  $17,234,914.98 from the Distributor settlement (year three payment), received on Aug. 2. There is an $808 million settlement with opioid distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.

The board took action to invest for future use the full $27,791,589.12 received from the year three J&J settlement payment and the year three Distributor settlement payment.

Johnson & Johnson and the Distributor package are just two of eight opioid settlements that Ohio has signed.

The board’s next public meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. Sept.13, at offices of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, 34 S. 3rd Street, Columbus.

Members of the public and media may access video of all board meetings and related board documents at OneOhioFoundation.com/Meetings.