EPA Action to Restrict Imports of Certain Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs) Draws Praise from C-8 Lawsuit Lawyers at Wright & Schulte LLC
Columbus, OH (PRWEB) October 20, 2013 -- As dozens of C8 lawsuits alleging injury and death associated with C8 pollution from DuPont’s Washington Works plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia, continue to move forward in federal court, Wright & Schulte LLC is praising a recent decision from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restrict the use of long-chain perfluorinated chemicals, which are often used in carpets. Long-chain PFCs include C8, also known as perfluorooctanoic acid, a toxic chemical that was used at the DuPont Washington Works plant for decades. Wright & Schulte LLC is now representing numerous individuals who have allegedly been sickened by C8 tainted water associated with DuPont’s Washington Works plant in personal injury claims that have been filed in a federal multidistrict litigation underway in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio. Richard Schulte, a partner with Wright & Schulte LLC, is serving on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee established for the federal C8 lawsuits. (In Re: E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company C-8 Personal Injury Litigation, MDL No. 2433)
According to a statement issued by the EPA on September 30, 2013, the agency has finalized a rule that will restrict imports of potentially harmful long-chain PFCs that are used as stain-resistant agents in carpets, and which have largely been voluntarily phased out by American businesses. According to the EPA, this category of PFCs poses long-term health threats, as they are bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans.
[epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/pfcs.html#final, EPA, September 30, 2013]
According to C8 lawsuits filed against DuPont, perfluorooctanoic acid was used for decades at the DuPont Washington Works plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia, to manufacture Teflon. These lawsuits allege that exposure to C8-tainted water has been linked to the development of a number of serious illnesses in people who lived and worked around the facility, including:
• Kidney cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis)
• Preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy)
• High cholesterol
In 2005, DuPont reached a settlement in a C8 class action lawsuit that affected more than 70,000 Ohio and West Virginia residents who had been exposed to drinking water that was contaminated with C8 discharged from the DuPont facility. Among other things, the settlement created the C8 Science Panel, and charged it with investigating potential links between exposure to the chemical and a number of serious illnesses. In October 2012, the Panel reported that it had established a probable association between C8 exposure and kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, preeclampsia, and high cholesterol. (Leach v. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., No. 01-C-608 (W. Va. Cir. Ct.))
[c8sciencepanel.org/prob_link.html; C8 Science Panel, October 29, 2012]
The C8 class action lawsuit settlement also stipulated that any individual who had been exposed to C8 contaminated water would be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit if they developed a disease ultimately determined to be associated with C8. Those eligible to file a C8 lawsuit against DuPont include individuals who lived or worked in any of the following Ohio or West Virginia water districts prior to December 3, 2004:
• Little Hocking, Ohio
• Belpre, Ohio
• Village of Pomeroy, Ohio
• Tuppers Plains, Ohio
• Lubeck Public Service District, West Virginia
• Mason County Public Service District, West Virginia
Wright & Schulte LLC continues to offer free C8 lawsuit evaluations to anyone who may be eligible to file a personal injury claim against DuPont in accordance with the C8 class action lawsuit settlement. Affected individuals, or their survivors, are urged to contact Wright & Schulte LLC today to discuss their case with a qualified C8 lawyer. To learn more about C8 lawsuits, please call 1-888-399-0795, or visit http://www.yourlegalhelp.com.
About Wright & Schulte LLC
Wright & Schulte LLC, an experienced personal injury firm, is dedicated to the belief that America’s legal system should work for the people. Every day, the attorneys of Wright Schulte LLC stand up for the rights of people who have been injured or wronged, and fight tirelessly to ensure that even the world’s most powerful corporations take responsibility for their actions. If you’re looking for a law firm that will guarantee the aggressive and personal representation you deserve, please do not hesitate to contact Wright & Schulte LLC today. Free DuPont C8 lawsuit case evaluations are available through yourlegalhelp.com, or call 1-888-399-0795.
For more information on C8 water contamination lawsuits visit us at http://yourlegalhelp.com/dupont-c8-lawsuit-dupont-c8-class-action-lawsuit
Contact:
Wright Schulte LLC
812 East National Road
Vandalia, Ohio 45377
1-800-399-0795
http://yourlegalhelp.com/
Richard Schulte, Wright & Schulte LLC, http://www.yourlegalhelp.com, +1 1-800-399-0795, [email protected]
Share this article