After DuPont C8 Water Contamination Can Ohio and West Virginia Endure Another Toxic Chemical Spill?
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 15, 2014 -- The lawyers at Wright & Schulte LLC by are already representing many Ohio and West Virginia residents in previous chemical spills, and were deeply disturbed by news of the recent chemical spill in West Virginia that affected nine counties in that state, and left more than 300,000 West Virginians without access to safe tap water. The January 9th spill (http://ow.ly/sBV) occurred due to leaks in storage tanks owned by Freedom Industries, which allowed thousands of gallons 4-methyl-cyclohexane-methanol, or MCHM, to spill into the Elk River near Charleston, and a mere half mile from the region’s drinking water intake. According to a report from NPR News, MCHM is a chemical used in coal processing, and little is known about its potential health effects. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has not even established safe levels for MCHM in drinking water.
[npr.org/2014/01/13/262185930/mysteries-persist-
surrounding-west-virginia-chemical-spill, NPR, January 13, 2014]
According to a report from the Columbus Dispatch, the West Virginia chemical spill is now affecting communities in Ohio, as the toxin has made its way into the Ohio River. Among other things, the spill arrived in Cincinnati around 7:00 p.m. on January 14th, and officials there shut water intakes for several hours to allow the chemical to pass. Similar precautions were being taken in other Ohio River communities, according to the Dispatch.
[dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/01/15/w-va--chemical-floats-past-ohio.html, Columbus Dispatch, January 15, 2014]
According to Wright & Schulte LLC, this latest spill comes when much of the area is still feeling the ill effects of C8, a chemical used in Teflon that was discharged from the DuPont Washington Works Plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia for decades. According to court documents, DuPont settled a C8 class action lawsuit in 2005 that had been filed on behalf of 70,000 people who lived and worked in the vicinity of the plant. Among other things, the accord called for the creation of the C8 Science Panel and charged it with investigating potential links between exposure to the chemical and a number of serious illnesses. (Leach v. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., No. 01-C-608 (W. Va. Cir. Ct.)
In September 2012, the Science Panel did conclude that there were probable links between exposure to C8 contaminated drinking water and several illnesses, including:
- Kidney Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Thyroid Disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Ulcerative Colitis)
- Preeclampsia
- High Cholesterol
[c8sciencepanel.org/prob_link.html, October 2012]
Since then, dozens of individual C8 lawsuits alleging illness and wrongful death due to exposure to C8-contaminated drinking water have been filed in a federal multidistrict litigation now underway in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio. According to court documents, all of the lawsuits allege that exposure to C8 tainted drinking water caused people living and working in the area to develop serious illnesses, including kidney and testicular cancers, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis), preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) and high cholesterol. (In Re: E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company C-8 Personal Injury Litigation, MDL No. 2433)
Wright & Schulte LLC is already representing numerous clients who have filed personal injury and wrongful death C8 lawsuits against DuPont in the federal litigation. Firm partner, Richard W. Schulte, is serving on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the proceeding. As such, the attorneys of Wright & Schulte LLC understand only too well the devastating toll chemical spills can take on individuals and businesses in affected communities, and are extremely concerned about the combined impact of these two disasters.
Wright & Schulte LLC continues to offer free C8 lawsuit evaluations to anyone interested in filing an individual personal injury or wrongful death claim against DuPont. The Firm is also offering free legal reviews to West Virginia and Ohio residents and businesses affected by the Freedom Industries chemical spill. To learn more, please call 1-888-399-0795, or visit yourlegalshelp.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.
Wright & Schulte LLC
1-888-399-0795
http://yourlegalhelp.com/
Richard Schulte, Wright & Schulte LLC, http://yourlegalhelp.com/, +1 1-800-399-0795, [email protected]
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